Swindon mum asks council to 'do more' for SEND children

A mum of two has said her local council is not doing enough to support her son with autism.

Rachel said her seven-year-old son's education, health and care plan - or EHCP - specified he was suitable for a mainstream school.

But she said this "traumatised" Mason so much that his behaviour and mental health worsened and she removed him.

Swindon Borough Council said all of its EHCPs were made by a specialist panel and that there was an appeals process.

It added that the panel took advice from professionals who had met the child and their parents.

Following an ECHP which specified that Mason - then four-years-old - could go to a mainstream school, he regularly attended - but "really struggled", Rachel told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

Rachel said he attended Reception and part of Year 1 but missed Year 2 entirely. He should now be in Year 3.

She added that no special school in Swindon could meet his needs and they had all rejected him.

"The school did the best they could, but it was just the environment was so damaging," she added.

"He just shut down, his mental health deteriorated, he has a diagnosed eating disorder, his eating deteriorated, he dropped weight, he stopped using his voice, he just cried every single day.

"You could see the fear in his face when you said, 'It's time to go to school'."

Rachel said Mason's ECHP had been reviewed each year.

She removed him from education as she felt it was damaging his mental health and he needed time to recover from burnout.

"It's a daily battle. Mason has quite a few complex needs," she said.

"No school can meet his needs so he's home all the time.

"I told them on day one it was never going to meet his needs, but the local authority seem to know best about a child they have never met."

Rachel said the council had a duty to care for children with special educational needs, even if it "costs a lot of money".

Swindon Borough Council said it did not comment on individual cases, but added that there were points it was "happy to clarify".

In a statement, it said: "All EHCPs are considered by a multi-agency Special Educational Needs and Disabilities [SEND] panel which receives reports and advice from a range of professionals who have met the child or young person and their parents before submitting their advice.

"The panel itself is made up of skilled and qualified professionals from a range of backgrounds including the SEND team, Educational Psychologists and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators [SENCO] who consider the professional advice in line with the SEND Code of practice.

"If parents disagree with the panel's decision, they also have a right to appeal to the tribunal, which will make a decision on the support provided."

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