66 children with special educational needs or disabilities in Central Beds still waiting for school places
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) without school places for September 2023 face “a difficult and challenging” wait, a meeting heard.
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Hide AdPackages of support are being provided as work continues to resolve the placements for 66 pupils, a Central Bedfordshire Council children’s services overview and scrutiny committee meeting was told.
Parent governor Richard Sherry wondered whether the council’s SEND team has been in touch with families, asking: “What would they say if Ofsted was to ask how much the service has improved?
“There’s a recently published SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, which means this year the Department for Education will adjust its response to poor performance in line with the new joint Ofsted/Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework.
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Hide Ad“It can potentially act proactively when areas or councils fail to provide the necessary support to meet the needs of children and young people.
“Is there a danger the Department for Education might need to remove service control and impose a trust or commissioner on this local authority?”
CBC’s director of children’s services Sarah-Jane Smedmor replied: “For all of those individual children and families our head of service for SEND Linda Orr will arrange meetings during the next half-term. Some have been held already.
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Hide Ad“She’ll also meet with the schools and the early year help workers to offer help in every way we can.
“Many of those children are in school with enhanced packages of support being provided for them. We’re aware of them and we monitor to ensure there are actions taking place.
“The bigger picture is our special school places plan and we’ve added to our own special school places.”
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Hide AdCBC’s assistant director of SEND Dr Helen Phelan explained: “It’s very much individual child focused. Linda Orr is working with colleagues in the SEND team.
“All families will be offered a meeting with a SEND officer, the school and early help to establish a holistic package of support for those children who’ll be in a mainstream school.
“It’s also considering creative solutions, tuition and alternative provision. It’s deciding and agreeing what works best for the family.”
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Hide AdMr Sherry said: “It would be interesting to hear feedback from families on the measures you’ve put in place so far. It’s not just about the intent and implementation, it’s about the impact on the family.”
Ms Smedmor added: “It depends on the family and their circumstances. For some families the wait is difficult and challenging. We know that.
“We’re providing the support while that wait goes on for whatever reason. A specialist place could be coming online, but there’s a time frame to that.
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Hide Ad“For some families the support is working really well for them. We need to ensure everyone involved with the child is part of that discussion.”
Conservative Cranfield and Marston Moretaine councillor Sue Clark felt it would be “uncomfortable” not to answer Mr Sherry’s question, raised during her update as executive member for families, education and children.
The response from CBC officers was provided shortly before the meeting ended.