MP says culture change is needed for SEND provision

Labour's Lucy Rigby met the leader of West Northamptonshire Council to discuss SEND provision

A new Labour MP says a culture change is needed in a county where "widespread failings" were found in services for children with special educational needs.

Lucy Rigby, who was elected earlier this month in Northampton North, has met the Leader of West Northamptonshire Council to discuss the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) findings.

She said the authority must find ways of spending money more effectively.

The Conservative-controlled council insists its services are already starting to improve.

Services for children with special educational needs (SEND) in West Northamptonshire are provided by a partnership between the local unitary council and the county's Integrated Care Board (ICB).

After an inspection in March, Ofsted and the CQC reported that there were "widespread and systemic failings" in the services provided by the partnership.

Several families have told the BBC their children have missed school for months because their needs have not been assessed, or because the special school place they need is not available.

Parents of SEND children have protested outside the council offices about the lack of provision

Ms Rigby described the report as a "damning indictment on the state of local services" and asked for a meeting with the council leader.

After the meeting, she said: "The council has apologised to local parents and accepted the findings in the report."

She added that the issue of funding had come up, but said: "A lot of the priority actions in the [inspection] report are not about money but about the better use of money.

"At the moment, the council wastes an awful lot of taxpayers' money on going to tribunals, which they then lose.

"That money would be better spent identifying children's needs earlier in the process."

Stuart Lackenby from West Northamptonshire Council said steps had already been taken to improve services

Stuart Lackenby, the council's interim director of children's services, said the meeting with Ms Rigby had been "extremely helpful".

"We've got 22 new staff, who will have started with us by September, that means we've got more caseworkers who are actively engaged with children," he said.

"Our independent chair should be starting in September to give us an increased level of rigour and accountability."

Ms Rigby said she would be having regular meetings with the council in the coming months.

"We need to see a culture shift [and] there needs to be a laser-like focus on driving through improvements," she said.

"That means greater monitoring, accountability and transparency and a greater parent role."