A multi-million-pound funding boost has been secured by the Isle of Wight Council to help support Island children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The news comes in the same month the government accepted a major bid by the council to build a new special needs school on the Island.
Friday’s announcement will see an additional £12.7 million invested in local SEND services over the next 5 years — the result of a ‘safety valve’ deal between the council and the Department for Education.
As part of the agreement, the council must deliver a balanced schools budget by 2027 — ensuring in-year spending matches in-year grant funding.
The council, like almost all others across the country, is experiencing additional pressure on its services to SEND children.
Recent overspending has been attributed to numerous factors including increases in the number of children and young people in need of additional support, as well as rising costs associated with these services.
The council has drafted a comprehensive set of proposals to ensure the focus stays on meeting the needs of the Island’s most vulnerable children by investing in early intervention, but also supports mainstream schools to enable greater inclusion and targeted support.
The plans are designed to maximise value for money to ensure services are sustainable.
The proposals will see:
- An emphasis on meeting needs early rather than waiting for statutory assessment;
- Investing in training and helpful resources for school staff;
- A new special needs support line for school staff;
- A new Island-based primary behaviour service to support schools around behaviour management strategies;
- Greater support in annual meetings for children with special educational needs;
- Continuing the roll-out of electronic Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs);
- Ensuring that financial support for each EHCP is right sized to ensure individual objectives are met;
- Increasing the number of SEND caseworkers;
- Increasing the number of specialist placement on the Island through the creation of a new SEN school and more resource provision places;
- A new employability hub to create better pathways for young people into supported internships and apprenticeships;
- Additional post-16 placements through the creation of a new independence hub.
The plans are in the early stage of development and the council will work with parents, professionals and young people to shape them.
Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and lifelong skills, said:
“This agreement will enable the council to continue to prioritise and support children and young people with special educational needs working with providers and parents.
“We aim to be there to provide the right level of support at the right time, at every step of a young person’s journey, and we work to ensure we make the right arrangements for children in our community.
“We are listening to parents and our Island children and we are taking a more joined up approach to provide the very best support possible for children and young people with SEND, putting their needs at the heart of decision-making, to ensure they are able to flourish and achieve their full potential.”
Yep we get it ….. thanks
Well Joey Deacon became a household name, so perhaps on in a million may hit the big time.
It is the other 999,999 who will be a constant cost and problem in society who are the issue though.
As cash is limited more than ever before, forcing deep cuts from those who will pay their way in life and be useful citizens, we should be cutting back even harder those who likely never will.
Computer linked home learning would be the cheapest solution as the parents of these children are paid very well and the basic learning needs with the help of an online tutor could and should be their responsibility to educate those they bought into this world. That or forgo the extra funding as unfair they will get both costing tax payers a fortune for no payback.
Shame that so much will be spent on processes/assessment ( council is obsessed with Assessment – children, Adults, Disabilities, Social Care, Education, Highway’s) and fighting against a child getting an ehcp, new staff and managers,IT and office space,Tel numbers etc etc – £2 milion a year will soon be eaten up , just support those pupils that need help and give resources to schools to get on with it.
Platitudes… What are Ms Andre’s qualifications Re: working with children; specifically sen children, please?
Even if they turned every other school into a special school, probably still wouldn’t be quite enough.
Pretty sure if you get your child assessed as having a specail need ie AHAD etc..you will recieve enhanced benifits in the form of a carers allownce..for looking after your own child.Maybe if this benifit was withdrawn the amout of SEND children would suddenly decline?
Then the cash could be targeted at the genuine children with SEND
Exactly John. The parents of such get very well paid for in all honesty lumbering society with an expensive burden.
Problem is it does not just end with the parents as schools too encourage having these in each class, not because they want them but because they are well funded the more of these beings they have in their school.
Disgusting when those children with a future are struggling to get what they need in hard pressed time