July 10, 2021, Basidon Echo: Call for probe into children’s services in Southend https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/19426078.call-probe-childrens-services-southend/
SE England
TORY leaders have called for an independent probe into care and support for children with special educational needs following a catalogue of complaints from parents.
Southend Council’s Conservative group has asked for an urgent meeting to consider calls for the independent investigation after parents say the service is failing their children….
Ofsted recently reported improvements to the service had been made following a damning inspection in 2018 which highlighted “significant weaknesses” in the service.
Nevertheless, families fighting to get the education their children need, often against insurmountable odds, say youngsters are still being failed.
Educational health care plans and diagnoses of mental health problems can take years to achieve and some families find their own parenting skills called into question during the lengthy process.
Tony Cox, leader of the Conservative group, who has a daughter with special educational needs, said: “We called for this before but it was dismissed out of hand….
"There are some families telling me they are too frightened to ask for help because they might get their children taken away. The whole system needs ripping up and starting again.”…
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