THE new cabinet lead for education at Staffordshire County Council has pledged to make the issue of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) a top priority.
It comes after the authority’s leader had warned Government funding would restrict decisions.
Cabinet member for education Cllr Janet Higgins, who has both personal and professional experience of the issue, said improving SEND provision was “hugely important” and one of the new Reform administration’s “four core priorities”.
The representative for Lichfield Rural West said:
“Through my own experiences, I fully understand the pressures families face day-to-day.
“I am determined to ensure that all children in Staffordshire receive the support they need at the earliest possible point to help them reach their full potential.”
In Staffordshire demand for support has increased rapidly, outstripping resourcing, with the council highlighting how it has been consistently underfunded by Government.
Cllr Higgins added:
“Fundamentally the national SEND system is failing and in desperate need of reform.
“The current position is not sustainable, and the level of Government funding is not nearly enough to meet the increasing need for support or the increasingly complex needs of the children we support.
“We will do as much as possible with the resources we have – however, our efforts are unlikely to be enough if the Government do not step up and deliver the critical funding and policy reforms which are needed.
“We know that this is a key issue for our MPs too and I will be looking for their support to help lobby Government on behalf of Staffordshire families.”
