I seconded the SEND motion at the local Labour Manifesto Conference by Michelle Simmons-Safo - CLP Disability Officer, Haringey SEND Parent

Conference notes that: the joint OFSTED/CQC report (July 2021) was highly critical of Haringey Children's Service's implementation of the 2014 SEND Reforms and identified 3 areas of significant weakness requiring a Written Statement Of Action (WSOA):

1. Poor quality of Education Health and Care Plans.

2. Poor communication and co-production with SEND families.

3. Unacceptable waiting times for Autistic Spectrum Disorder assessments.

- Haringey Councillors had previously identified these weaknesses, following the 2019 Children and Young Peoples (CYP) Scrutiny Panel investigation and report into Haringey SEND Services;

- the Amaze Report (2020) identified parents’ dissatisfaction with SEND services;

- the SEND department’s slow implementation of recommendations in CYP Scrutiny Panel, Amaze and OFSTED reports.

Conference resolves that Haringey Labour should commit the next Haringey Council administration to:

1. All SEND parents to be given three weeks’ minimum notice before engagement meetings and six weeks before consultations, (as recommended in the Amaze Report)

2. The co-production of the new Parent Carer Forum contract to be re-opened to ensure all parents can fully participate (as recommended in the Amaze Report)

3. All co-production and engagement meetings with Haringey SEND families to be subject to scrutiny and transparency; minutes should be online, available to all within a week of meetings.

4. To implement SEND parents’ request for an independent Truth and Reconciliation Process.

5. To apologise to parents for SEND service failings;

6. To monitor Haringey SEND department’s performance, with regular updates to families of SEND children.                                              

Proposer: Michelle Simmons-Safo - CLP Disability Officer, Haringey SEND Parent