Sharp rise in children with special needs approaching Councils for support

THE number of children in England approaching Councils for special needs support has increased by almost a quarter in a year, latest figures reveal, with 170 young people now starting support plans each day.

This comes as the Government is currently consulting over its proposed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms that it set out earlier this year. Education and Council leaders are gathering at the Local Government Association's Annual Conference in Harrogate to discuss the reforms with Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi set to address the conference.

The LGA, which represents Councils, says emergency action is needed now, to help meet the rising demand for SEND support. It is calling on the Government to scrap the high needs deficits Councils have built up, as a result of the spiralling costs of providing support outstripping the SEND budgets available to Councils.

New figures show the number of initial requests for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which sets out the provision of SEND support for each individual, fell to 75,951 in 2020, following 4 consecutive years of increases, partly due to the impact of the Pandemic and successive lockdowns. This then jumped by 23% to 93,302 in 2021.

With Councils having to make difficult decisions over where support is provided, there were 62,180 new EHC plans made in the last year, amounting to 170 children and young people starting a plan each day.

There are now nearly ½ a million children and young people (473,255) on ECH plans - an increase of over 100% since eligibility for SEND support was extended in 2014 to people aged 16-25.

While eliminating high needs deficits will help Councils in the short term, the LGA says boosting the inclusion of pupils with SEND in mainstream Schools is vital. This needs to include:- incentives for mainstream Schools to take in more children with SEND as well as powers for Councils to hold Schools to account for the support they provide.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, said:- "The fact that 170 children and young people with SEND are starting EHC plans each day, demonstrates the huge pressures Councils are under to ensure every child gets the very best support that meets their needs. While it was good the Government set out much needed reforms to tackle where the current SEND system is not working, these will take time to be implemented. Action is needed now to help Councils meet the rising demand and spiralling costs of providing support that they are seeing on a daily basis. This is why we are urging the Government to eliminate Councils' high needs deficits, which would help to significantly relieve the strain on Councils' budgets and enable them to better support children with SEND."

Interventions Alliance thanks volunteers helping to stop re-offending and keeping communities safe

A year on from when the Government renationalised its offender management and all associated rehabilitation work, returning it to the Probation Service, Interventions Alliance is celebrating its 1st year of service. Interventions Alliance was launched by the Seetec Group, after it had quickly identified the gaps in support that the unification of the service would bring, after it had successfully managed Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) across the South East and South West. 1 year on and Interventions Alliance celebrates supporting over 11,000 people with convictions on their journeys to a brighter future. Interventions Alliance provides a variety of innovative and evidence-led interventions, including:- specialist education training and employment support helping people with convictions move towards employment, and specialist domestic abuse and stalking units to support both perpetrators and victims. The employee owned business employs over 230 experts, and it also has a cohort of volunteers offering a unique and specialised services to people leaving prison and supporting them on their rehabilitation journey.

Cheryl Milner, Volunteer Unit Manager at Interventions Alliance, explains:- "Our volunteers allow us to offer a very personable service to people that often feel no onecares. Our volunteers represent people from all walks of life, they may be retired, a student or someone with lived experience that has been through the criminal justice system and wants to give something back. We offer in-depth training for all our volunteers to enable them to support individuals with often complex needs. Our volunteers help people with a variety of day to day tasks such as applying for a bank account, looking for jobs and finding housing support, most importantly they offer their time to listen."

3 volunteers share their experience of helping people re-build their lives: Peter Lewis, Lauren Brown and Ronald Donovan.

Peter Lewis, 63, who lives in Somerset, has helped over 50 service users get back on track. After a successful career as a company director, Peter served a short spell in prison. Through this experience, Peter realised the lack of support available to ex-offenders on their release from prison, particularly from employers often not giving people with convictions a second chance. Peter said:- "There are a number of reasons why employers aren't taking advantage of the large cohort of workers that are leaving prison and want to work. From my experience a lot of this is lack of knowledge and accessibility. Employers are just unaware of the potential of, nor how to access, this pool of committed and hardworking individuals. Another barrier includes:- concerns over the risk of employing someone with a conviction. It's natural to have these concerns, but it is unfounded. Statistically, the evidence is clear that someone with a criminal past is less likely to re-offend if they are in employment. They just need to be given a second chance to prove their worth."

Peter has found the volunteering process rewarding, although difficult at times, adding:- "Breaking through the red tape and other barriers can be extremely challenging and frustrating at times but there's nothing quite like seeing the reaction from somebody when they have success with something they never thought they could achieve."

Another volunteer, Ronnie Donovan, 59, from Ellesmere Port, wanted to find a way to help ex-addicts and ex-offenders. Ronnie, who is at the start of his volunteering journey said:- "Volunteering is fantastic. You can choose who you think would benefit from your volunteering work the most, so for me that's helping people with addiction. Quite a lot of the people I work with aren't in a great place, so it's nice that I can share my own experience and help them navigate the system to get the help they need. Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference to someone's life."

Ronnie was a successful landscaper, even becoming a millionaire, but Ronnie says he's the happiest he has ever been while volunteering.

Criminology student, Lauren Brown, 21, from Liverpool, has a different motivation for volunteering with Interventions Alliance, after previously taking a more theoretical approach as part of her University studies. Lauren explained:- "I wanted to experience working with vulnerable adults because all my knowledge is theoretical and based on my studies. Because I studied criminology, I am interested in ensuring we look for solutions to break the cycle of re-offending. Most people that are involved in the criminal justice system don't have many support networks around them and that tends to be why they become stuck in the cycle of offending. I don't believe prison is the right place for everyone, I think many people would benefit from other rehabilitation approaches. For some people going to prison doesn't actually change anything when they are released, as they go back to their old ways. I wanted to get involved with the work of Interventions Alliance as they are offering innovative, and evidence led solutions to break the cycle. It's so important that we treat people with respect and as an individual rather than just someone who has committed an offence. It's a really rewarding experience and very insightful as to why people have committed certain types of crimes and you'll see things from a different point of view. Also, if you're then helping someone to stop reoffending, then you're also helping to prevent people from becoming victims."

£1 billion technology investment to bring railway into 21st century

MORE than £1 billion of Government funding will be used to replace outdated Victorian infrastructure with cutting edge digital signalling technology. ⅓ of the nation's population live within 20 minutes of a Station on the East Coast Main Line and, together, produce more than 40% of the UK's GDP, making it 1 of the UK's busiest rail routes while also playing a vital role in the prosperity of the nation's economy. The technology, which will be rolled out across the entire southern section of the line; from:- London's King's Cross to Stoke Tunnels, just south of Grantham; will mean faster, safer and more regular trains for millions of people.

A week after union leaders brought much of the nation's railway to a standstill with strikes, this investment is a key example of how the Government wants to bring the industry into the 21st century. Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said:- "While union bosses waste time touring television studios and standing on picket lines, I am busy getting on with the job at hand and modernising our railway. This £1 billion investment will allow us to replace unreliable Victorian infrastructure with cutting edge technology which will mean fewer delays and more regular services for millions of passengers. The world is changing and, despite the best efforts of unions, I am determined to help our railway change with it."

The funding will remove outdated lineside signalling and replace it with the European Train Control System (ETCS), which brings signalling into train drivers' cabs and provides them with real time, continuous information throughout their journey. The new in cab technology will create a more responsive, more resilient railway and, crucially for passengers, 1 that can recover quicker when journeys don't go to plan. Most importantly, as the system will constantly monitor the train's speed, it will also create a safer railway.

Toufic Machnouk, Director, Industry Partnership for Digital Railway, Network Rail, said:- "We are delighted to have been given the go ahead for this ground-breaking programme that will transform the capability and resilience of the East Coast Main Line and be a key enabler for the wider network. The ECDP is uniquely bringing together all elements of track and train through a pioneering industry partnership that is working beyond boundaries in a deep collaboration. We will upskill our people and use new technology to improve the way we work for the benefit of passengers and freight customers."

As well as the many passenger benefits, the East Coast Digital Programme will deliver a much needed financial boost to the industry and, over its lifetime, is 42% cheaper than the current system. It will also help the Government towards its Net Zero goal by decreasing carbon emissions by 55,000 tonnes - the equivalent of more than 65,000 1 way flights from London to New York.

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said:- "Digital signalling will allow the full potential of our Azuma fleet technology to be realised, and means our customers will benefit from even more reliable and sustainable journeys in the future."

Tom Moran, Thameslink and Great Northern Managing Director, said:- "We're delighted with this announcement, which will mean better services in the future for our passengers on the East Coast Mainline. This massive investment builds on our work to implement digital signalling on the Northern City Line into Moorgate in the City of London, and it means we can continue to roll out the technology on some of our key routes."

The East Coast Digital Programme follows more than £350 million of prior investment to fit other services on the route with the new technology, with over 80% of passenger rolling stock on the East Coast Mainline South already using ETCS. Network Rail will prioritise the request for a further investment of £427m as part of the next Control Period settlement, bringing the overall investment to just under £2 billion.

Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group, said:- "Freight customers throughout supply chains are dependent on reliable rail services to deliver goods to people. We welcome this investment in digital signalling that will provide a more flexible and resilient railway, unlocking future growth potential in rail freight traffic supporting both decarbonisation and economic growth."

DWP agrees to remove Chinese surveillance cameras from Department buildingsr

THE Department for Work and Pensions has agreed to remove Chinese state owned surveillance cameras from its Department buildings following calls from rights groups who warned that the cameras are the same as those overseeing serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Big Brother Watch sent a letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey, co-signed by Stop Uyghur Genocide, Free Tibet, Hong Kong Watch and Arise, expressing concern that Hikvision cameras were in use in her Department's buildings. Big Brother Watch, along with other rights groups, are campaigning for Hikvision and Dahua to be banned in the UK due to the companies' involvement in the Chinese state's repression of Uyghurs in Xinjinag, China. Hikvision and Dahua cameras are used in concentration camps throughout the Uyghur Region, and both companies have contracts worth at least $1.2 billion for 11 separate, large-scale surveillance projects across the Region. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, prohibited the procurement of Hikvision cameras in his Department earlier this year, after a procurement review brought up ethical concerns. Big Brother Watch and others also wrote to the Home Office, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Housing, Communities and Levelling Up, the Ministry of Justice, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who also use these cameras in their Department buildings.

In a letter to Big Brother Watch on 23rd June, the Department for Work and Pensions wrote:- "During the next 3 years, the Department is undertaking a capital investment programme to update and upgrade its physical security systems. The Department will not be using any security camera equipment manufactured in China as part of this programme."

Madeleine Stone, Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch said:- "The decision to strip out Chinese state owned CCTV from the Department for Work and Pensions is an enormously welcome development that could not come soon enough, given the role Hikvision plays in the ongoing brutal repression of Uyghurs in Xinjinag. These surveillance companies have no place in the UK and it is an outrage that taxpayers' money is funding companies so closely linked to genocide. The Department for Work and Pensions has set an example that other Government departments, and the rest of the UK, should urgently follow."

Will Hoyles, Media Officer at Free Tibet said:- "It's great to see that another Government department has committed to removing Hikvision from its premises. Tibetans are living in the least free place on earth thanks in large part to Hikvision's technology and they should receive no funding from UK taxpayers. Given the growing trend to stop using Hikvision there is now no excuse for the Government to keep quiet about the advice its own experts are giving about the safety of their cameras."

Not enough money for adult social care reforms, say 98% of Councils in LGA survey

ALMOST all Councils (98%) responding to a Local Government Association survey on the Government's adult social care reform agenda say they do not have confidence that the funding earmarked for the reforms is sufficient. Concerns have grown among Councils in recent months that the Government's adult social care charging reforms are potentially hugely underfunded, which will risk their implementation as well as exacerbating existing pressures on the system. Of the £36 billion the new UK wide health and social levy will raise over the next 3 years, only £5.4 billion is ringfenced for social care reforms in England. These include:- the introduction of a cfair rate of care' that Councils will pay providers and tackling the issue of self funders paying more for their care than those who access support at the Council rate. The survey of senior Councillors responsible for adult social care across the country, ahead of the start of the LGA's Annual Conference in Harrogate tomorrow, also found 3 quarters of responding Councils said that they are not confident they will have the required capacity in frontline staff to deliver the reforms. The LGA is warning that underfunded reforms will exacerbate significant ongoing financial and workforce pressures, including:- significant vacancy rates across the sector. These have already led to over 500,000 people waiting for an assessment, care or care reviews; up from just under 400,000 in November 2021. Unless action is taken and Government rethinks its plans, people who draw on care may experience reductions in quality and availability of care and support services, while at the same time paying more for them through the new health and social care levy and increased Council Tax. If the reforms do end up costing more, and there is no further resource from Government, Councils also indicated concern in the survey that other Council services may be negatively impacted in order to make up for the shortfall. At its heart, adult social care reform must better enable people who draw on social care to live an equal life and a better life. The findings of this survey cast serious doubt on whether the Government's plans will enable Councils to deliver on these objectives.

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board said:- "This survey lays bare the huge concerns of Councils that the Government's charging reforms are significantly underfunded. This has the potential to tip Councils over the financial edge. Underfunding these reforms will only exacerbate pre-existing significant pressures, which the reforms; and the funding for them; do nothing to address. These include:- unmet and under met need, greater strain on unpaid carers and increased waiting times for assessments and delivery of care packages. A higher proportion of the health and social care levy needs to be spent on social care to tackle these issues and create stable foundations for these reforms. Councils are stretched thin as it is, and my colleagues across the county have highlighted how many of their Council services could be impacted by the cost of these reforms. Local Government is seeking immediate assurances that the Government will underwrite any additional costs Councils incur and will work with Councils as a matter of urgency to consider further mitigations that may need to be used if funding, capacity and timescale pressures threaten implementation."

Letter to the editor:- "Patients with coeliac disease deserve better"

"WITH great sadness and frustration, I read recently about an inquest into the death of an 80 year old with coeliac disease who was fed cereal containing gluten in Hospital. The patient fell ill within hours and started to vomit. She died 4 days later from aspiration pneumonia. As someone with coeliac disease myself, it is upsetting to realise that even among medical professionals there is such a lack of understanding of this serious autoimmune disease. 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease, and there is no cure. The only treatment is a strict gluten free diet. Even a crumb of gluten can cause a severe reaction. My own mother, who is 86, has had difficult experiences in Hospital. She was offered toast containing gluten, which would have made her very unwell. Another time she was told she was:- 'too late' at 4pm for gluten free food. The Hospital clearly regarded a gluten free diet as a specialist request, rather than a medical necessity that should be offered as part of standard care provisions. At Coeliac UK, we are calling on all Hospitals to urgently review their guidelines and protocols. We're asking the NHS to update the information about coeliac disease on their website as the current list of symptoms is misleading. And we want to see better training for healthcare professionals to improve their understanding of coeliac disease, and their management of patients who have the condition. no onewith coeliac disease should have to worry about being glutened in Hospital." Yours sincerely, Maureen Burnside, Chair, Coeliac UK.