Coventry charity calls for more SEND training
An investigation is underway following the comments made by three Warwickshire councillors in a public meeting in January
Last updated 16th Apr 2024
A Coventry charity is calling for more education and training on Special Educational Needs and Disability in all public sectors.
It’s following the controversial comments made by three Warwickshire County Councillors during a public meeting in January, to discuss the growing pressure on SEND services.
Cllr Jeff Morgan, Brian Hammersley and Clare Golby were heard questioning whether some children were “just really badly behaved” and in need of “some form of strict correction”.
An independent investigation is ongoing because of the volume of complaints and is said to take at least 12 weeks to finalise.
The authority is also delivering training and workshops on SEND for elected members.
Adam Hives is the Executive Director of Life Path Trust in Coventry, which works with people with learning disabilities and autism to live more fulfilling, broader lives.
He said the comments made were disappointing and shows a real ignorance around SEND and learning disabilities, especially the challenges families face in getting a diagnosis.
Mr Hives said: “It’s extremely disappointing that in 2024 those views still prevail. The councillors derive a really simplistic and ignorant explanation for the rise in demand for SEND services. We've seen a rise in demand for our services, but the reasons why people are receiving SEND diagnosis or getting education, health and care plan now could be around just a greater awareness of the subject of disability. It could be changing diagnostic criteria. It could have been the SEND reforms. There's lots of little nuanced things that might have all contributed to this.”
He continued: “The first thing to remember is that people with learning disabilities are kind of hidden in society, they're shunned and pushed to one side. So, where we might experience and overcome different forms of ignorance and prejudice through just being in the workplace or being in society, actually our exposure and interactions with people with learning disabilities are really limited, which is completely wrong.
“The first port of call is to begin smashing down some of those barriers. Training is a really essential first step, and should be transferred beyond the care sector. Training's good, but actually true integration, true community connections, true meaning for people with learning disabilities is the next level. What we need is to have people represented at board level, Council levels, in the workplace, in communities. And that to me, is what an inclusive society really is.”