RBC calls on Government to increase funding for SEND services for Rushcliffe children
Last updated: 26/9/2024
Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) has passed a motion reaffirming its commitment to support a fellow council responsible for education services in the Borough and request further funding from central government.
During a Full Council meeting on Thursday (September 26) Councillors unanimously backed calls for more support for Nottinghamshire County Council’s (NCC) current SEND or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision.
The Council will now write to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, and the Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell MP, to request more allocated funds, recognising the urgency of the situation and the need for decisive action to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the service.
In a motion brought to the meeting initially by Cllr Ted Birch and following amendments proposed by the Conservative group it gained cross party support.
It included requesting NCC continue to gather and consider a wide range of views from parents, carers and SEND children, assisted by the creation of the dedicated SEND email inbox to respond to their questions.
The Council also encouraged parents, carers and children to contact NCC and share their views and asked for details of NCC’s response procedures. There were also requests for this to be shared with Borough councillors and provide accredited Learning Disability and Autism Training to all teaching staff at schools across the county.
RBC Councillors voted to encourage its members to complete the NCC Autism Awareness Course as a further action point and welcomed news that Council staff have recently undertaken a training session on neuro divergency.
RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Leisure & Wellbeing, ICT & Member Development Cllr Jonathan Wheeler said: “Although Education and SEND services are supported by Nottinghamshire County Council, we wish to be clear that we welcome the work they are doing to improve their SEND services to meet the needs of parents, carers, children and young people within Rushcliffe.
“The extra funding and support in place is clearly welcomed, including the £16 million secured from the previous government and a new specialist SEND school being delivered in Nottinghamshire.
“This is part of the SEND specialist school places targeted by NCC for delivery by 2026. We share their aim for every child and young person to have the support they need, along with the need for more funding from the new Government to Councils across the country to deliver this.”