A SEND emergency has been declared in Sunderland amid concerns about the “significant challenges” residents face in accessing support for children and young people. City councillors made the declaration at a meeting on Wednesday (September 16) after hearing the city was experiencing an increased demand for provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The move follows large increases in the number of statutory needs assessments requested and education, health and care plans issued in recent years, and the Reform UK motion said the “increasing volume and complexity of demand is placing significant pressure on services and resources.”
Sunderland City Council has agreed to ensure that the future requirements of children and young people with SEND are considered as an “integral part” of the development of future strategic plans.
The council’s chief executive and certain directorates have also been asked to strengthen engagement with families, schools and relevant partners to ensure their experiences inform the development and improvement of SEND services, along with a request to review current SEND provision.
The declaration was launched by councillor Carol Giles, Reform UK cabinet member for children’s services, education and social mobility, in a motion to councillors at City Hall.
The motion said a planned SEND provision review would aim to identify where “accessibility, timeliness and quality can be improved and bring forward appropriate actions in response”, and also asked the council to “examine opportunities to manage the increasing financial pressures associated with SEND provision”, while protecting the council’s legal responsibilities and “prioritising improved outcomes.”
Cllr Giles said “declaring an emergency does not mean to say that nothing is working” and listed the “good work already taking place across Sunderland “.
This included children with SEND being successfully supported in mainstream settings, strong partnerships between schools, health services and the council, work around early identification and intervention through family hubs and more.
However, Cllr Giles said the council must still recognise where the system remains under pressure and noted families are still experiencing delays and that some parents and carers “feel as though they have to fight too hard to get the proper support their children need”.
She added: “This motion is about responding to that change and it commits to reviewing provision, strengthening the involvement of families and schools, improving accessibility and timeliness and making sure SEND is properly considered in our future planning.”
Reform UK councillor Elouise Redmayne, seconding the motion, said it aimed to build on the good work taking place in Sunderland, with a focus on “looking at the whole journey of a child, rather than treating each service separately”.
This included clear ownership of cases, better information sharing, reducing duplication and “making sure that specialist knowledge is available to mainstream staff before problems escalate”, as well as improving provision and joined-up support for children with complex needs.
Cllr Redmayne added: “Declaring an emergency is not about dismissing the good work of staff, it’s about recognising that the rise in demand and inconsistent experiences require a stronger response.
“A declaration by itself will not change a child’s life, clear responsibility, better coordination, sensible use of resources and measurable actions can.
“For every family that has to chase too often, wait too long, or fight too hard, we must work smarter and do better.”
The motion was unanimously approved by councillors from all political groups.
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