Dec 3, 2024, Nottinghamshire Live: Nottinghamshire SEND children 'left to rot' after being out of school for years
E. Midlands
Nottinghamshire parents say their children are being "left to rot" after being out of school for years without enough alternative education being provided. One mum says her daughter now "covers her ears and starts spinning round the room" at the very mention of school.
The system designed for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Nottinghamshire was found to have "widespread failings" following an OFSTED inspection in 2023. Nottinghamshire County Council, which delivers SEND services in a partnership with other agencies, says improvements have been made since OFSTED's visit.
Diagnosed with autism, Ms McMullen says her daughter often tried to "mask" her condition at school. Ms McMullen was told her daughter would not fit the criteria for an EHCP, for which she has instead started a private application. . . .
The petition calls for "immediate and decisive action" including a funding increase for SEND services, tackling the high turnover of staff dealing with SEND and measuring the number of complaints. Councillor Birch, who also cites concerns as basic as a regular lack of communication between caseworkers and families, said: "We've seen EHCPs that are missing parts, so they're just not usable documents. It's madness.
"The county council are very good at the optics and it's a shame that they're not even 1/10th as good at the governing." The county council will eventually issue a formal response to the petition but responding more broadly to the concerns, Councillor Sam Smith said: "If you're querying the quality or the deliverability of the EHCP there are routes you can go down, whether that's contacting your case worker or the SEND improvement pathway officers - which I'm really proud we've invested millions of pounds into. . . .
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