Getting SEN support is 'like fighting a war'

Rachel Turner says trying to get the education her daughter is legally entitled to is "a constant battle"

The mother of an autistic teenager says her council's special educational needs service has "failed" her daughter.

Rachel Turner from Exeter said getting the support her daughter was entitled to under a care plan agreement with Devon County Council was like "fighting a war".

The council has overspent on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services by more than £50m in the first four months of this financial year.

Julian Brazil, the leader of the council, apologised to families and said fixing a "broken system" was his number one priority.

'In limbo'

Ms Turner said trying to get an education for her daughter had "turned our life upside down".

"The education system has just failed her completely," she said.

She said at one point last year, funding for a tutor was slashed by 90%, only to have that decision overturned just before the beginning of this school year.

Ms Turner said she and her daughter were left "in limbo", unable to get information, with council staff not returning calls or emails.

She said: "You've got a complete fight on your hands to get them the education they're entitled to."

Local authorities have to provide EHCP plans within 20 weeks

Parents of children with special educational needs can apply to their local authority for an EHC needs assessment. If this indicates the need for an education, health and care plan (EHCP), one will be issued setting out the support the child has a legal right to be provided with.

Councils have 20 weeks to issue an EHCP, but in Devon, that is only achieved in just over 3% of cases - the worst performing local authority in the country according to Department for Education figures.

Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council, says it will take time to fix problems within children's services

Mr Brazil took over as the Liberal Democrat leader of the council following elections in May. At the time, he said improving children's services was the council's top priority.

Under the previous Conservative administration, the council had racked up more than £130m of debt related to special educational needs spending, incurring a "high risk to the ongoing financial stability" of the council, according to the chief financial officer.

Reacting to Ms Turner's comments, Mr Brazil said: "First and foremost, I feel for those parents - they are struggling with a system that is broken.

"Children have got to be our top priority. Change won't happen overnight, but we're confident now that we've got the right team in place and that we will make the difference.

"I'm very sorry that for those parents that are suffering in the here and now, there isn't the capacity or the resources to be making the difference we should be making as a county."

Mr Brazil said the council was looking at a range of measures, including "early intervention" and "making schools more inclusive" as well as providing more special schools so that children from Devon would not have to travel out of the county.

The government is also expected to publish plans on how to reform special educational needs provision this autumn.