SEND parents 'deeply dissatisfied' with council

Bracknell Forest Council is projected to have an overspend of £8.5m in SEND provision this year

Nearly 150 parents of children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) have said they are "deeply dissatisfied" with a council's management of local provisions.

An open letter to Bracknell Forest Council from 148 affected parents has asked the authority to "improve services" for children in the borough.

Some said they had been close to having mental breakdowns during their battles to ensure their children received proper support.

The council said it was yet to officially receive a copy of the letter, but it would "look over all the concerns carefully".

The open letter, which is addressed to the authority's CEO Susan Halliwell, called on the council to "improve services for our children and young people, who for too long have been an afterthought from the very services who are there to support them".

The letter was sent on to the council by a local news organisation on October 11, but the authority has thus far failed to formally address the concerns as it was not sent directly by the parents.

A spokesperson for the families said: "I’m a bit confused, does it matter how or where it is delivered? Surely the important bit is the content, do they want us to send it by pigeon?

"It kind of sums up the problem."

The authority is projected to have an overspend of £8.5m in SEND provision this year.

Almost three years ago, the Labour-controlled council joined a controversial government programme to reduce its overspend on SEND, known as the "safety valve".

But parents said they were "still not seeing any improvement", with some describing their dealings with the local authority as "traumatising" and "worse than ever".