Suffolk County Council's special needs service under review

The way a council deals with families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is to be reviewed following criticism.

Suffolk County Council said the independent audit would determine whether communications were sufficient.

Suffolk Parent Carer Network said families were frustrated the system did not always respond to their needs.

Council cabinet member for SEND, Rachel Hood, said: "It became clear that we need to do a better job."

Lyndsay Terry, whose son, Bradley, has autism, told BBC Radio Suffolk that her dealings with the service were "a constant battle, every step of the way".

Last month, the nine-year-old was dropped by the side of the road, out of sight of his home in Somersham, by a school taxi service contracted by the council.

"Obviously that is not safe," added Ms Terry, who arranged for a new taxi firm, allowing Bradley return to school on Monday for the first time since 24 May.

"I had to really badger the council to get a new taxi," she added.

She said it had needed her to raise on concerns on the radio and get Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dan Poulter involved before it happened.

She said she supported the review, having spent years pushing for the help Bradley was entitled to, including repeated requests for an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and a three-year wait for a place at a specialist school.

"They don't communicate with us - they make decisions without telling us, when we call we're told people are busy, or questions aren't answered properly," she said.

"All we want is somebody to listen; it is extremely frustrating."

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Conservative councillor Ms Hood said the service supported 18,000 children, including 6,000 with EHCPs.

"They [families] shouldn't have to fight and it's our job at Suffolk County Council to make these difficult situations as smooth as possible for parents and young people," she said.

"It's not perfect, our processes have been reformed and issues addressed and thing have improved significantly, but it became clear that we need to do a better job in some aspects and that's why we've ordered this immediate review."

Campaign for Change (Suffolk SEND), which earlier this month called for an urgent independent audit, said the review did not go far enough.

The council said the specific scope of the review was being finalised, but it was expected to look at the flow of cases, communications, the speed at which inquiries were dealt with and placements provided.

Anne Humphrys, of Suffolk Parent Carer Network, said it welcomed the review, following its feedback of families' experiences.

"We know that many families still experience frustration with a system that doesn't always respond to the needs of their children and young people," she said.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]