Deputy leader of Central Beds Council apologises over 'outrageous' SEND remark made at meeting when she was 'very tired'

The deputy leader of Central Bedfordshire Council has apologised over a comment she made at a full council meeting about the local authority’s statutory obligations for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Conservative Cranfield and Marston Moretaine councillor Sue Clark said the council is achieving all its nationally required performance targets.

She was responding to a written question from Independent Biggleswade South councillor Hayley Whitaker when she made the error.

Councillor Whitaker said: “We know CBC is struggling to meet the statutory and legal requirements to support our children and families with SEND.

“But how much funding is required for this council to comply with those within the legal time frame. Can you tell me how big that budgetary shortfall is, please?”

Councillor Clark replied: “I need some further clarification because it’s not clear from the question to which aspect of funding you’re relating.

“There are many aspects to funding for SEND, which is a hugely complex field. Are you talking about high needs block, or about education, health and care plans (EHCPs), and are you including health in this?

“This isn’t only about money. It’s about having the right processes, the right specialist staff and enough money in the high needs block. It’s not a question which can be given a simple figure.”

Councillor Whitaker explained: “Unless we can understand how big the shortfall is and where within the budget, it’s difficult for us as a local authority to lobby government and other agencies for what we need, so we can meet our SEND obligations.”

Executive member for families, education and children councillor Clark added: “We’re meeting our SEND obligations.

“We’ve much to do in speeding up certain areas of our performance. But those aren’t things about money. They’re about process, and securing and retaining specialist staff.”

Central Bedfordshire SEND action group posted on social media about the exchange between the two councillors, referring to councillor Clark’s “outrageous claim”.

The post added: “Perhaps parents would like to list in the comments, all of the statutory obligations that aren’t currently being met for their child. Such as:

> not providing enough special school places;

> education health care needs assessment refusals where the barrier has been raised above the legal bar;

> EHCP finalisation delays;

> annual review delays;

> unlawfully refusing social care assessments and support;

> not providing a full-time education to out of school children;

> EHCPs not including all of the child’s needs;

> and needs assessments where the parent hasn’t been informed they can ask for other evaluations apart from the education psychologist.”

Councillor Clark wrote to the group, saying: “I wanted to apologise to you, the special needs action panel (SNAP) and the wider SEND community for the error I made over statutory duties at the council meeting.

“I know we’ve some important parts of our SEND service where we aren’t meeting our duty, such as the 20-week (EHCP) time frame.

“I don’t quite know what happened other than I was very tired and made a mistake. As you know, I’ve been working as hard as I can to bring about the improvements we still need in the service and will continue to do so.”