West Oxfordshire’s parents have shared their deep frustrations over our Liberal-led Coalition at County Hall’s decision to cut funding for essential SEND services.
Alongside Oxfordshire’s Conservative MPs, I signed a joint letter to the Council urging them in the strongest of terms to reconsider this decision.
I am glad that the Council’s has u-turned on this decision after pressure from Conservative MPs and the local team, and that Autism Family Support will no longer have their funding cut. Nonetheless, the Council’s handling of this is deeply regrettable as is the distress caused to families over the last month.
I know full well that families in West Oxfordshire with children that have complex needs rely on the support offered by these organisations and this decision was in total contradiction to their ‘recommitment’ to SEND following the disastrous OFSTED inspection into OCC’s provision last year.
In the last few weeks, my inbox has been filled with, quite rightly, concerned parents who rely on out-of-school groups for their children with special educational needs.
