Charity blasts special needs report 'whitewash'

8:56am Saturday 10th May 2008

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Borough children with special educational needs are being let down by incompetent service providers, according to a borough charity.

A joint area review (Jar) this year described the special educational needs (SEN) department as "outstanding" but Twickenham based SOS!SEN has rubbished these findings and branded the report as "yet another whitewash".

At a meeting of the education and children's services overview and scrutiny committee on April 23, charity co-founder Marion Strudwick also blasted the council for having one of the worst records for special needs tribunals in the country.

She said: "It seems stupid to go out and investigate the fact that Richmond has so many appeals and then come back with a report saying it's all wonderful; if it was they self-evidently wouldn't get so many appeals."

In 2006-7, nine tribunal cases were withdrawn, one was dismissed and eight were ruled in favour of the parents.

A father of a child with special educational needs, Paul Hampartsoumia, described the handling of his child's case as "disorganised" and "poor".

Fellow founder Bob Parslow accused the SEN panel of "contriving to stop one child obtaining his proper provision for two-and-a-quarter years". He alleged that the council "ducked out" of a High Court action before giving provision on the same evidence that was presented at the first appeal.

Mr Parslow added: "If the task group found no evidence of a dishonest or unfair assessment process - then it must be incompetence."

The council's cabinet member for children's services and education, Councillor Malcolm Eady, said: "Richmond's SEN work was assessed in the Jar as outstanding and described as providing a comprehensive, integrated service' with no significant weaknesses'.

"The number of times that parents have taken their case to a tribunal has fallen year on year since 2005.

"An appeal is classed as upheld if any amendment, however minor, is made to a statement of special educational need."

Chairwoman of the scrutiny committee, Suzette Nicholson, added: "I think to call this service incompetent and disorganised is unfair."