Opaque and Fake

Nelson Mandela was a truly transparent and exceptionally authentic leader. He never hid who he really was. Honest and genuine. People never had to question who he was. He invited trust and credibility.

In any government and government departments, there are always members who stand out as being particularly untrustworthy but the 'leadership' of the day represents the most dishonest, disingenuous, and despicable individuals I have known in my lifetime.

Where children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are concerned this behaviour is inexcusable and unforgivable.

Children should NEVER be considered in terms of how much funding they are worth or, as targets to meet.

Yet they are and, with the rumours that LAs must 'deliver better value in SEND' AKA delivering fewer EHCPs - children are being dehumanised further.

Let’s be clear.

The government won’t come out and say this openly and honestly, and neither will the DfE.

They can’t.

One because it isn’t a vote winner and two, it would mean telling the truth.

Being transparent.

Instead, they have put LAs in a position where they have to deliver ‘better value in SEND’.

What this actually means is that they want LAs to decrease spending on SEND and one way to reduce costs is to reduce EHCPs.

The DfE are telling LAs to reduce EHCPS; without explicitly telling them to reduce EHCPs.

All that has been written in Papers, Reviews, and Reports; all that has been spoken by MPs and Ministers on the Conservative benches about their ambitions for children with SEND represent the most insincere and disingenuous comments ever made.

The SEND Review 'Right Support, Right Place, Right Time' (March 2022) opens with this ingratiating statement:

'This government is determined to level up opportunities for all children and young people – without exception. We are just as ambitious for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as for every other child. This green paper sets out our proposals for a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives'.

On the matter of religion, the late Christopher Hitchens said:

‘I don't think that lying to children is a respectable occupation’

I borrow his words and will add:

‘I don’t think lying to children, families, teachers and all other professionals supporting children with SEND is a respectable occupation’

I would challenge anyone to disagree.

Claire Coutinho and Robert Halfon either do not have the faintest idea what is occurring, or, their comments are indicative of something far more sinister. Or both.

I draw your attention once more to Hitchen’s words.

According to Claire: The government schemes to help councils get huge SEND deficits under control were “not about targeting a particular reduction” in EHCPs.

Robert pledged: “with absolute certainty” that DfE “has not provided any local authorities either nationally or locally with targets to reduce provisions” in EHCPs.

Kingston and Richmond councils have conditions to “manage demand” for EHCPs. Six key performance indicators reference EHCPs measured against an annual “target”.

'The councils are among the 34 who have been promised bailouts of nearly ￡1 billion in total under the government’s safety valve scheme. In return, they must make savings on their SEND spend'.

Both councils stated:

“We are focused on making sure the threshold complies with legislation and appropriately meets the needs of children and young people who require support.”

The DfE said it was “untrue to suggest any targets relating to EHCPs were created or agreed by the department for any safety valve local authorities”.

But the DfE refused to clarify whether it signed off, or had involvement in, setting the KPIs as part of the safety valve contracts.

Transparency?

Authenticity?

Haringey Council aims to: “reduce the numbers of children following annual review who have an EHCP".

Bexley’s ￡30 million deal explicitly states an aim is to “reduce the growth in numbers of EHCPs required for SEMH (social, emotional and mental health)".

'The government’s SEND review is pushing for early intervention which would mean fewer children need to access support through EHCPs'.

1) Under the coalition government, nearly every Sure Start Centre was closed.

2) Cuts have led to vulnerable children 'crisis'. Peers told ministers to restore support to 2010 levels (19/11/2021 UK Parliament Committees).

3) Children and teenagers are forced into crisis after funding for early support is slashed (Independent 9/7/2022).

4) 'Over the ten years between 2010/11 and 2020/21, investment in early intervention support in England fell from ￡3.8bn to ￡1.9bn (Report commissioned by The Children's Society, Action for Children, Barnardo's, National Children's Bureau, NSPCC 19/6/2022).

A DfE spokesperson said:

“We have been clear"

No. You have not.

You exist in a world of smoke and mirrors where nothing is as it seems. You say one thing but you mean another. You issue directions disguised as support (safety valve agreements) to councils who are only struggling in the first place because of years of chronic underfunding.

You say you have a 'plan to help local authorities effectively and sustainably deliver high-quality SEND services for families'.

I say:

In any government and government departments, there are always members who stand out as being particularly untrustworthy but the 'leadership' of the day represents the most dishonest, disingenuous, and despicable individuals I have known in my lifetime.