Pleas for help from parents of SEND children being “squeezed out of society”

Families laid shoes outside Southport Town Hall as part of a wider demonstration

Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.

Anyone who has, or knows somebody who has, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND understands that the challenges are both extreme and constant. And when people in those situations feel the system is failing them, all the worries and fears are compounded.

On Monday, parents in Southport joined those across the country in a demonstration calling for improved support and services for SEND children and their families.

Before we move onto the main edition, an announcement: For the month of November, we are running are special offer giving 30% off paid subscriptions to The Southport Lead. With that you get full access to every edition, plus an optional subscription to The Lancashire Lead and The Lead’s national title.

Last month, we were awarded the title of best best specialist/regional newsletter of the year at the Press Gazette’s Future of Media Awards but we can only do it with your support. Use this link to gain access to the limited offer of 30% of a subscription which works out at less than £3 a month.

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Southport briefing

👀 Britannia Hotels confirmed it is working on ‘possible plans’ for the future of Pontins in Ainsdale, according to Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson. The resort has been closed since January 2024 but remains under the control of Britannia, which has more than 130 years remaining on the lease for the site.

Mr Esterson told residents: “I met Britannia, which owns the site and currently holds a long-term lease. They confirmed they are working on possible plans and conducting further site visits. While any medium-term progress depends on decisions which Britannia will take, I am encouraged that they agreed to keep talking to me as they develop their plans.”

🎄 The giant crochet Spitfire will be removed from Town Hall Gardens before Remembrance Sunday. This is because work had already been scheduled to begin on the installation of the giant Christmas tree. The Southport Branch of the Royal British Legion explained: “Regrettably, after lots of brilliant meetings with town stakeholders, and taking into account health and safety, insurance, and practical requirements, the Spitfire will come down as planned on Friday, November 7, to allow the town to begin the next stage of preparations for the festive season after Remembrance.

“Our branch has been proud to play a supporting role. The Spitfire will remain a cherished memory for all who saw it and all those who worked so hard to build it and install it.”

🔍 The coroner’s office is asking for help tracing the next of kin of 84 year-old Ivy Anderton who died at Woodlands Residential Home in Southport on Saturday, November 1. Sharing the appeal, Merseyside Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Ivy’s death and that it is believed Ivy had two brothers, one of whom may have passed away earlier this year. Any other family members are asked to contact Coroner’s Investigation Officer James Martindale on 0151 934 2276 or by emailing james.martindale@sefton.gov.uk

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“We just want to get the basic rights but we’re not being afforded those”

By Elliot Jessett, additional reporting by Jamie Lopez

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are being “squeezed out of society”, parents have warned.

On Monday, children’s shoes were placed outside Southport Town Hall as part of a nationwide demonstration calling for improved support and services for SEND children.

Organised by The SEND Sanctuary UK in partnership with Let Us Learn Too and Let’s Make a Difference, the public display involved placing shoes to represent each child who parents say has been failed by a “broken” education system.

The symbolic event was designed to highlight difficulties experienced not only by children who are missing from education, but all of those whose needs are believed to have been ignored, misunderstood or dismissed.

Organisers warn that children are being isolated in classrooms without the right support, pushed into unsuitable mainstream schools, or left waiting months and years for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) that are delayed, denied or disregarded.

Among those in attendance in Southport was Jayne O’Neill, a mum and an active member of the Voice of the Families support group, which advocates for improved SEND services across the borough.

She said: “SEND children and their families are being let down by the entire social care system. So many children and young people with SEND have not got school places.

“This failure in the SEND system impacts the whole family, in some cases extended families too. It affects your mental health, because in some cases, you can no longer work due to care responsibilities. You’re living on benefits, which is really tough, especially with the social and economic situation that’s going on right now.

“Parents are constantly having to fight, and it’s draining mentally, physically and emotionally and it’s very isolating. You lose contact with your family, you lose your friendship groups.

“The people who support the SEND families are often people with SEND families themselves. I found a great community out of Voice of the Families and other parents with SEND children, because they get it. It’s affirming that I’m not crazy, I haven’t got unrealistic expectations. We just want to get the basic rights but we’re not being afforded those rights.”

Sefton, like many local authorities across the North West, continues to face serious challenges in meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

There are now more than 3,000 children and young people in Sefton with an EHCP, an increase of more than 50 per cent since 2019. Meanwhile, families report waiting over 30 weeks for EHCP assessments and review, compared to the statutory target of 20 weeks.