Mother of deaf blind 4 year old forced to quit job in order to support him

A mother from Clitheroe who was forced to give up her job in order to support her 4 year old son has called on the council to do more in terms of funding and support when it comes to finding an alternative provision for children with an Education Health & Care Plan.

An Education Health and Care plan or EHCP is a legal document that can permits extra funding for individuals with needs such as ADHD, Autism, or mental health needs such as Anxiety, OCD and depression. It also provides support for those who may have experienced trauma in their lives. An EHCP stays with the individual until the age of 25 but councils are struggling to deal with demand.

The number of EHCPS in the North West have increased dramatically in the last five years from forty-seven thousand in 2019 to more than 80,000 last year. That is a 42% rise to plans that should be issued within 20 weeks by law.

In Kimberley Hinds case however, it took 18 months for 4 year old Harvey to receive his EHCP.

We have been speaking to Kimberley about her story:

"My little boy was offered a special provision at the age of three, but the council wouldn't allocate the funding for him"

"We applied in October 2023, and we have just had his EHCP through, however the council still refused to consult a preschool"

"He struggled right through his early years and missed out on much of his education"

Kimberley went on to tell us her plea that she wished to share with any and all parents who may be going through a similar situation to what she is going trough now

"My message for any parent who is fighting this battle is keep fighting, because you will win"

"We need to invest in training these teachers we need to inject money in order for them to learn"

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