(UK) Somerset: Parents protest SPED funding 'scandal'; $21M 'not enough'
- The end of childhood
- 46 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Oct 14, 2025, Somerset Live: Somerset parents call for end of special needs funding ‘scandal’
SW England
Somerset parents and MPs have demanded government action to end the "scandal" around funding for children with special needs.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are usually educated in one of two contexts: either at specialist schools constructed by Somerset Council, or within mainstream schools in line with agreed education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
The council has been widely criticised over its handling of EHCPs, with numerous fines being handed down from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) over delays or inappropriate support being agreed.
Somerset parents have come together under the banner of the Somerset SEND Army, calling on the council and the government to take their children's welfare seriously and prevent their future from "being decided by spreadsheets".
The Somerset SEND Army held a protest outside County Hall in Taunton on Monday morning (October 13), attended by two of Somerset's seven MPs.
Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos spoke first, stating: "The way children with special education needs and disabilities are being treated, here and across the country, is nothing short of a scandal.
"It is totally unacceptable that our children are being let down time and time again.
"The council put in another £16m [$21M] [to children's services] last year, they're building 12 SEND units – but it's not enough. The support is clearly not enough for the children that need it.
"We have to take this fight to the government. It's no good giving people the idea that they're going to have special support, and then not providing the funding to make that happen. It's betraying families."
"I couldn't bear to see him hurt himself"
Tatjana Bodman's son Luke was diagnosed as autistic with learning disabilities at the age of three – and was subsequently diagnosed with ADHD two years ago.
In a tearful address to protesters, she said: "Our nightmare didn't start with a diagnosis. It started in 2019, when Luke's behaviour began to change.
"He became impulsive, aggressive, frightened and confused. He started hurting himself – biting, scratching, hitting his own body in frustration and pain.
"As his mum, all I wanted was to protect him. So I gave him my arms, my body – I let him hurt me instead, because I couldn't bear to see him hurt himself.
"We begged for help. We went to our GP over and over again, asking for support – we were told he didn't tick enough boxes, so we were left to cope alone.
"His school did what they could, but without proper interventions, the situation kept getting worse."
In April this year, Luke could "no longer cope" with the noise associated with his bus journey to and from school, and was finally provided with a specialist taxi with an escort.
However, this support was removed after he turned 16 – with Tatjana claiming that professionals only took his predicament seriously when faced with the prospect of a high-cost residential placement.
She said: "Suddenly, meetings happened, assessments appeared, everyone got involved.
"Not because they finally cared – but because they realised that if Luke went residential, it would cost more money.
"This isn't a system based on need - it's a system built on cost.
"Our children's futures are being decided by spreadsheets, not by compassion.
"That's why we created the Somerset SEND Army - because no family should have to go through this. . . .
"My son begged me to kill him"
Georgina Dykes, who co-founded Somerset SEND Army with Tatjana, said she had been contacted by dozens of parents since the organisation was created, wanting to share their experiences.
She said: "We've heard stories about badly written ECHPs, the refusal to grant an EHCPs, the refusal to acknowledge an EHCP is needed, and gaslighting parents into thinking their children are absolutely fine, or going through a phase.
"Many children are in the wrong settings – a huge amount of SEND children are put into a setting which doesn't yet exist, or are given the right setting and not given the transport to get there.
"Children are even bullied by professionals they're forced to trust or be around, being made to feel like they are just naughty or disobedient children.
"In fact, they don't actually have the skills or abilities to manage their emotions or behaviours – not being allowed the correct emotional support at school, or correct fidget toys, or other coping mechanisms to make a school atmosphere bearable for them.
"Many children as young as four are self-harming, or even expressing that they'd rather be dead.
"When my son begged me to kill him last year, I can't even explain how that felt. We have been failed." . . .
Somerset Council told the BBC that it was dealing with 730 applications for ECHPs, of which 501 were accepted to progress to assessment by an educational psychologist.
Officers stated that there had been a 40 per cent increase in EHCP cases reaching this stage in the past year, while the average waiting time for an EHCP to be issued was 32 weeks – though this still breaches the 20-week target set by the Department for Education (DfE). . . .
In the last 18 months, the council has faced numerous fines from the LGSCO relating to EHCPs, with the council being penalised for failing to provide the right support or not making decisions in a timely fashion. . . .
The council has also been working on opening new SEND units at schools across the county, with more scheduled to follow in the next 12 months.
Ms Shearer added: "The big change I've seen in the last few years is how much the council actually understands how important children's services are.
"We have more demand than we can reach with the money we have – but we have to work collectively.
"We have had an extra £16m into this year's budget, and we have an overarching plan to try and improve SEND across the country area.
"It may take a while to see all the outcomes, but if we don't start, we won't make any change."
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