Written evidence from Anne Brown (CFA0004)

HOUSE OF LORDS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACT 2014 SELECT COMMITTEE INQURY

Submission from

ANNE BROWN

My area of expertise is involuntary home educator and parent to two young people with high functioning autism

Dear Sirs;

My submission is short, and very simple and takes the form of the OFSTED/SEND report into Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council which was issued on 04/07/21 and can be found here - https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50168627

The key finding is

“Area leaders in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) are only just beginning to implement the SEND reforms. Leaders have been distracted and delayed from this important work by the reorganisation of the council and high staff turnover. The amount there is for leaders to do is significant. A lack of urgency remains among some services to work together to tackle the issues with the pace that is needed. Despite some promising new appointments to key posts and useful joint working during the pandemic, progress has not been maintained. Consequently, there is little evidence that key elements of the reforms are becoming embedded. Many children and young people with SEND and their families continue to have a poor experience, and there is little sign of their outcomes improving.”

I would ask you to read the whole report, not least because it explains why I am an involuntary home educator, and bear in mind that I was not advised that the inspection was happening so I could not have any input into it.

May I wish you good luck with your enquiry, and respectfully suggest that the key issue is the lack of accountability of Local Authorities for their actions. At the moment, they can have a massive negative effect on vulnerable children and their families and absolutely nothing happens to them. Contrast that, please, with the fact that parents can be imprisoned if they fail to send their children to school.

Yours sincerely

March 2022