The MidBucks MP penned his thoughts on needed changes in a comment piece yesterday (24/09)
Conservative representative Greg Smith says whilst he supports extra funding for the mainstream sector, "it is inauthentic and disingenuous to pretend that this remotely addresses the needs of children with the most complex conditions".
Smith's comments closely follow the recent closure of the Government consultation (external) on the topic last Friday, where Government sought views on "temporary arrangements to allow local authorities to increase the funding mainstream schools receive to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities".
The MP says in his role as MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, he sees "the human cost of the SEND crisis every week", arguing that parents are exhausted from fighting for basic support, children are left without the right placement for months or years and schools are stretched beyond capacity.
Greg Smith also raised his concerns that the social, emotional and mental health dimensions of reform have "received insufficient attention", saying:
"The next stage of change must therefore protect specialist capacity for children whose needs cannot be met elsewhere and treat those with complex needs differently. We need to strengthen genuine early intervention before children reach crisis, give proper weight to SEMH needs, and properly assess long-term outcomes and costs alongside any short-term savings while ensuring parents, children and constituency MPs help shape the detail."
In the comment piece he also claimed "I have repeatedly raised these issues in Parliament. I have challenged the Education Secretary over the cancellation of a previously committed £18–20 million, purpose-built 152-place SEND school for Buckinghamshire; a project announced under the previous government and scrapped by Labour, replaced with far less funding. I have highlighted delays of up to 56 weeks just to issue an EHCP in my county and the shortage of occupational therapists. These are not isolated problems and they illustrate a system under severe strain."
His comment comes despite Labour MPs rejecting claims that a specialist school has been cancelled back in January.
You can find out more by reading the full piece here (external).
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