Leader of the Conservative Opposition on Somerset Council, Cllr Diogo Rodrigues, has said it is "unforgivable" that Somerset's SEND service was allowed to deteriorate to the point where a £5.3 million emergency investment is now needed to help the council meet its statutory duties.
Speaking at a recent meeting of Somerset Council's Executive, Cllr Rodrigues welcomed the additional investment but questioned how the service had been allowed to reach such a critical position.
Cllr Rodrigues said:
"I welcome this report. There's clearly no beating around the bush with it. It's been very honest, and I genuinely appreciate that because every councillor needs a clear understanding of where we are and where we need to get to.
"But reading the report made me genuinely sad. These are our children. I don't have children myself, but I don't need to have children to understand the pressures families are under or what children go through when they don't receive the support they need.
"It is unforgivable that we have allowed the SEND service to get to this sort of crisis point where we're having to inject £5.3 million just to deliver the statutory requirements of this authority. We are firefighting.
"The investment is absolutely the right thing to do, but the question that now needs answering is how the service was allowed to reach this point in the first place. Were the right questions being asked? Was there sufficient oversight? Did members receive the information they needed? And what lessons will be learned to ensure this never happens again?
He added:
"Without our workforce, we are nothing. One of the shocking parts of the report is what it says about the people working in the service. It describes high levels of sickness absence, low morale, conflict and even staff animosity. That is not a healthy service.
"While I welcome this temporary investment, I want confidence that it will deliver long-term, sustainable improvements for both our workforce and the children and families who rely on them. Our staff deserve better, and so do the families they serve."
The Executive unanimously approved the report, agreeing to provide £5.3 million of temporary funding over two years to recruit additional staff, tackle SEND backlogs, improve statutory compliance and strengthen services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
