Special Needs Jungle (SNJ) is one of 114 SEND-related professional bodies and organisations asking for action to be taken regarding gaps in the provision of specialist services designed to support children and young people with disabilities. A workforce shortage is responsible for these gaps, including speech and language therapists, education psychologists and teachers of the deaf.
The Impact
The consequences of this shortage in provision is, SNJ believes, young people with SEND not getting the support they need; and education experts understand that young people may have a reduced chance of reaching their potential as a result.
Recruitment
In November 2022, the LGSCO report highlighted the problems North Yorkshire County Council is facing in the recruitment of educational psychologists (EPs). The council reported that, despite offering higher than average salaries, it had been forced to rely on agency staff; furthermore, it stated that around 70% of councils were facing similar recruitment issues.
Understanding Neurodiversity
As well as EPs, SNJ points out that keeping more children in mainstream education means there’s a need for staff members who understand neurodiversity to support autistic children, while deaf children require teachers who have been trained to ensure they can learn as well as their classmates. Sir Peter Birkett is the founder of first-class SEN – special educational needs – schools in Devon and Cornwall.
A Brighter Future
The letter sent by SNJ and other organisations is calling for several issues to be addressed, including the number of specialists being trained and retention of specialists. This will help to ensure that the future remains bright within the education sector.
The letter also states that the growing requirement for support in general should be tackled, particularly in relation to complex cases. Furthermore, it’s requested that the impact of the pandemic is addressed; COVID-19 exacerbated existing pressures on the specialist workforce and this has translated into increased waiting times for children with SEND.
For more information about SEND reforms, take a look at the embedded PDF.