£17m boost for SEND education in region

MORE than £17m is to be pumped into helping hundreds of children with special educational needs into schools in the Liverpool City Region.

- BY DAVID HUMPHREYS

Last month, the LDRS shone a light on the battle facing families across the city trying to get the right education setting for their little ones.

Officials from Liverpool Council have spoken of their desire to do better for children across the city but parents have told of the difficulties they have come up against.

This has been acknowledged by senior leaders, with Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, telling the specialist meeting last September: "It's not only potentially tipping councils financially over the edge, more importantly it’s failing many vulnerable young people.

"It's something as a country we've all got to deal with.

Now the government is to invest more tens of millions of pounds across the city region as part of a significant funding deal for SEND national.

Speaking to the LDRS earlier this year, Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, said more needed to be done to support local authorities to improve outcomes in SEND amid continuing financial pressures.