Parents disappointed with lack of SEND support

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) say they are disappointed with Brighton and Hove City Council's response to a call for holiday clubs and after-school activities.

SEND Us A Break campaigner Helen Irving presented a petition signed by nearly 1,400 people to the council's cabinet, highlighting the "insufficient childcare services and short breaks".

Councillor Mitchie Alexander said there were 678 sessions in the summer, of which 418 were specialist sessions for children and young people with complex needs.

But campaigners told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council's response "shrouds the real situation".

In a statement, SEND Us A Break said: "The response from the council and the statistics they provided about the childcare they had offered shrouds the real situation here.

"[The] sessions they refer to are half days, and the council doesn't say how many children with SEND these sessions were divided between.

"Many children with SEND, particularly those with complex needs who need one-to-one or two-to-one support, were only offered four days across the whole of the six-week summer holidays."

The campaign group added there was "a real issue of inequality", which placed "an enormous burden on families - practically, emotionally and financially".

Presenting the petition, Ms Irving said she had taken three weeks' leave, one unpaid, during the summer holidays and relied heavily on friends and her employer's flexibility.

A working mother of three, who asked not to be named, said she has found the summer holidays "very challenging" to arrange suitable childcare for her son, who has permanent physical and severe learning disabilities.

"It took hours and hours of work trying to put in place childcare to meet his needs," she said.

"Arrangements weren’t finalised until very close to the start of the holidays. Some arrangements fell through. Another arrangement did not meet his needs.

"And all of this caused a lot of stress and more unpaid time off work than I could manage."

Responding on behalf of the council, Ms Alexander said that the petition raised awareness of the struggles faced by parents and carers.

"Parents’ wishes and young persons’ needs have been accommodated as much as possible, often in creative and bespoke ways through one-to-one support and mainstream providers," she said.

She agreed that there was a need for longer sessions in the holidays and more sessions for children with complex needs.

The council was working with the special schools to deliver after-school clubs and wrap-around care, she said, and added that the council would work with the Parent Carers’ Council (PaCC) to develop the offer.

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