Warwickshire councillors' SEND comments "shocking", says Rutland mum

Alleged offensive and discriminatory comments made at a Warwickshire County Council committee meeting about children with special educational needs (SEN) are "shocking", according to a Rutland mum of four SEN children.

Councillors were heard questioning whether some SEND children are “just really badly behaved”.

The comments were made at a children and young people overview and scrutiny committee meeting, where increasing costs for special SEND services were discussed.

Antonia Garnett-Clarke, who helped set up SEND Action Rutland and has four special educational needs children, said:

'These are people who are making huge decisions in regards to the financing of the SEND system at local government level, and they seem to have very little knowledge of children with SEND; of parents and families with experiences of SEND.'

'Some of the language that was used was really quite shocking. One councillor was insisting on calling the children "people". They're not "people", they're vulnerable children.'

'We talk a lot as a society about understanding autism, but ADHD is still very much a taboo condition. It is viewed as naughty child syndrome, still.'

A spokesperson from Warwickshire County Council said: “The Council has received a number of complaints following comments made at the 25th January meeting of the Children and Young People OSC. The Council's Monitoring Officer is considering these complaints and it would be inappropriate to comment whilst that process is underway.”

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