High Street Protest Over Special Needs Education Cuts

Published on: 30 May, 2019
Updated on: 1 Jun, 2019

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

Families from across Surrey joined hundreds across the country to stage a protest against special needs budget cuts.

Dozens of parents and children gathered and marched along High Street, Guildford on Thursday to raise awareness of the national crisis for disabled children and young people.

Surrey County Council announced last year it would be making around £21 million worth of cuts to the SEND (special education needs and disability) budget and is currently reviewing how the service is delivered as part of its major transformation.

But families fighting for their children to have assessments, therapies, more support at schools and educational provision say enough is enough with the cuts.

Lisa Francis with her sons Jake, 7, and Charlie, 10 join SEND cuts protest in Guildford. Credit LDR

Mum-of-two Lisa Francis, from Claygate, said: “We are not listened to until we are in crisis.”

She said her 10-year-old son Charlie has “suffered tremendously” because of lack of SEN support and budget cuts.

He has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder) but the school is unable to support his needs.

Her other son Jake, seven, has had 18 corrective surgeries in his life due to a rare genetic disorder but he is also not getting the support he needs.

“More support staff in schools is what is needed. More training for teachers. It’s absolutely vital,” she said.

“There are so many failures in the SEN system and it affects these children.”

Deborah Young at SEND Crisis protest in Guildford Photo – LDR

Deborah Young, from Dorking, has a 16-year-old son who is now getting the support he needs at a school a 45 minute drive away.

But she says it has been a battle to get him in a school that can support him and if cuts are made to transport grants for SEND children that will affect his ability to get to school.

She said: “When you get the right environment and you get people listening and supporting you it just makes such a difference.

“I don’t want other families to have the problems we have endured.”

Melanie French from Banstead was at the protest with her daughters Francesca, who is 16 and autistic, and Natasha, 14.

She has had to seek legal action over the years to secure a school place and education for her daughter and said she is worried about other families who may not be able to speak up or fight their battles.

Benedicte Symcox from Family Voice Surrey – a campaign group representing families and working with Surrey County Council to transform SEND services – spoke to crowds.

She said it was not just parents and children who struggled, but also teachers, council staff, carers and siblings of the children who suffered because of the cuts.

She said: “There are no winners in this system.”

The protests were being held around the country with a petition signed by 12,000 people being presented to the Prime Minister.

Alicia McColl from Farnham, one of the protest organisers.

Parents who organised the Surrey protest included mum Alicia McColl, who was part of the group to take SCC to the High Court in September last year to challenge the budget cuts.

She said: “There are not the resources available for our children. We are raising awareness for lack of funding for special needs. In order to get our children taught we have to go to court. If we don’t support these children now when they are growing up, we will be supporting them as adults for the rest of their lives.”

“The funding also needs to be rinfenced from the general education budgets, at the moment it is not.”

A budget report presented to SCC cabinet members on Tuesday said the council’s SEND is funded from the High Needs Block of Dedicated Schools Grant.

It said: “The number of young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability and cost pressures have been rising over a number of years, both in Surrey, and elsewhere in the country.”