Family faces second Send legal battle with council

Joanne Manners said the council had given "no justification" over its decision to end funding for her son's additional therapy

A family said it faced taking legal action against a council for a second time over access to support for special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Joanne Manners said Norfolk County Council said it would remove some of the therapy her 16-year-old son, Elliott, is supposed to receive as part of his educational health and care plan (EHCP).

Mrs Manners, from Swanton Abbott, said it was a "terrible strain" after previously challenging the council at a tribunal.

The council said it could not comment on individual cases but added: "We absolutely appreciate how difficult the current system is for families".

Describing Elliott as a "a bright young man with a keen interest in engineering", Mrs Manners said he was studying for his GCSEs but had "complex needs", including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

In the last financial year, Norfolk County Council spent £890,000 on legal battles with parents over Send

The council does pay for Elliott to have one-to-one support in classes, but has said it will stop funding weekly yoga therapy and monthly speech and language sessions.

"He struggles to understand people at times… that is a fundamental piece of support he needs," Mrs Manners said.

She explained the family had successfully challenged the council over support for Elliott before, but did not want to go through the process again.

"It puts a terrible strain on the family financially, because we've had to pay for private reports and therapies in the past," she said.

"And from a personal point of view it's very disheartening that the right thing isn't done by your child."

Pat Brickley, from the SEN Network charity – which supports families of children with additional needs – said Elliot's EHCP was legally binding and the council "should comply with the law".

She added that the process of challenging the council was "horrendously stressful, it takes over people's lives".

"It can lead them into considerable debt, people mortgage their houses and take out loans to obtain independent reports," she said.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has promised reform of the Send system

The council often faces challenges from parents.

In 2023, 359 appeals were lodged and the council's legal bill for cases was £890,000 in 2023/24.

The authority said there were 29,000 children and young people with Send in Norfolk, and a growing number had "high needs".

Its director for Send, Jane Hayman, said the authority was "investing in more support within mainstream schools so that we're able to meet the needs of our young people, as well as specialist provision."

She said the council was also repeating its call for the government to reform the Send system.

The Department for Education has been asked to comment.