The extract below is taken from a report distributed by the "No Voice" campaign of parents of children with special needs in Sheffield. The reference is to a meeting of members of the campaign with Sonia Sharp, Director, Children and Young People Directorate and Clive Betts MP, who also brokered the meeting. [Other matters discussed at the meeting can be read in the full report.]
Statements of SEN
The Local Authority intended to “move away” from Statements because it believed the money/time spent producing them could be spent more constructively. We pointed out that Statements were both a legal requirement and also, very necessary, given the Local Authority’s failure to provide automatically children with an education that met their needs. Sonia Sharp did not accept anecdotal evidence that parents were being told they did not need Statements, and said that any parent who “really wanted” one could have one. Apart from the legal implications of what was said we were concerned by the Officers’ attitude that, because they were promising to create their vision of a perfect SEN service in Sheffield, parents should trust them and be prepared to give up Statements and funding attached to specific Statements.
Officers are anticipating that expertise in mainstreams will improve because of the DCFS Inclusion Plan which includes compulsory training for all schools with regard to special needs. (eg autism training will take place next year).