Senior Suffolk councillors resign after negative SEND report
Rachel Hood, James Reeder and Chris Chambers have resigned after a negative report into the Suffolk services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Three senior Suffolk County councillors have resigned from their posts as cabinet and deputy cabinet members.
This signals further changes to the leadership for the services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A report by Ofsted and the Care and Quality Commission said that children in Suffolk 'get lost in the system and fall through the cracks'.
Councillor Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council’s leader, said:
“I would like to thank Rachel, James and Chris for their personal commitment and hard work over the past two and half years. They have shown huge dedication to improving SEND services.
“I would like to wish them well in their future work and reiterate Suffolk County Council’s absolute commitment to ensuring more young people and their families receive the support they need and deserve.”
Resigning from their posts in a letter to the leader of the council, the councillors said:
“Over the course of this week, it has become apparent that our positions have become a distraction from the vital work of this council in improving outcomes for children and families within the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service in Suffolk—work which we have focussed on since our appointments 2 ½ years ago in 2021.
“The recent Ofsted report is extraordinarily disappointing, despite Ofsted and the DfE’s recognition of improvements in the service and we are determined that the Council will go further and faster in providing SEND children and their families with the outcomes, and positive experience, they need and deserve.
“It has been a pleasure to serve in your administration and we now believe that to ensure the focus is where we all wish it to be – on improving the lives of children and families in Suffolk, collectively, we wish to step aside to avoid further distractions and so are tendering our resignations from our respective appointed roles. We are most grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the children and residents of Suffolk on behalf of the County Council.”