William Eichler 09 July 2024

Council offers to brief Farage on SEND pressures

Council offers to brief Farage on SEND pressures image
Image: Martin Suker / Shutterstock.com.

A member of Essex County Council’s cabinet has offered to brief Nigel Farage MP on special educational needs and disabilities issues after the leader of Reform UK criticised the council for SEND delays.

Mr Farage, who was elected as MP for Clacton, and James McMurdock, who won in South Basildon and East Thurrock, said they would put pressure on councils after hearing from parents about delays in the provision of SEND services in their Essex constituencies.

The county council has been criticised for delays in assessing children for educational health care plans within 20 weeks, with some waiting over a year.

Mr Farage told the BBC: ‘We as MPs cannot directly affect special needs provision as that is a county council issue, but... [we can] go to Essex County Council and say what’s going on.’

Cllr Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s cabinet member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, said: ‘We are continuing to make changes across the Essex SEND system to improve outcomes and families’ experiences. I welcome the opportunity to brief MPs on this work in the coming weeks, not only on the local picture, but also on the issues in the national SEND system.’

Local authorities are currently looking after a record 576,000 children and young people with SEND, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

To find out more about what local government stakeholders want from the next government, check out our guide, Transforming Local Government: A Strategic Guide for Labour. Download your complimentary copy now!

The £37,000 SEND Problem image

The £37,000 SEND Problem

Natalie Kenneison, COO at Imosphere, argues that the real SEND funding crisis isn’t just about budgets - it’s about the systems behind the decisions.
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