Somerset parents and MPs have demanded government action to end the "scandal" around funding for children with special needs.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are usually educated in one of two contexts: either at specialist schools constructed by Somerset Council, or within mainstream schools in line with agreed education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

The council has been widely criticised over its handling of EHCPs, with numerous fines being handed down from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) over delays or inappropriate support being agreed.

Somerset parents have come together under the banner of the Somerset SEND Army, calling on the council and the government to take their children's welfare seriously and prevent their future from "being decided by spreadsheets".

The Somerset SEND Army held a protest outside County Hall in Taunton on Monday morning (October 13), attended by two of Somerset's seven MPs.

Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos spoke first, stating: "The way children with special education needs and disabilities are being treated, here and across the country, is nothing short of a scandal.

"It is totally unacceptable that our children are being let down time and time again. The council put in another £16m [to children's services] last year, they're building 12 SEND units – but it's not enough. The support is clearly not enough for the children who need it.

"We have to take this fight to the government. It's no good giving people the idea that they're going to have special support, and then not providing the funding to make that happen. It's betraying families."

Tatjana Bodman speaks at the Somerset SEND Army protest outside County Hall in Taunton. CREDIT

"I couldn't bear to see him hurt himself"

Tatjana Bodman's son Luke was diagnosed as autistic with learning disabilities at the age of three – and was subsequently diagnosed with ADHD two years ago.

In a tearful address to protesters, she said: "Our nightmare didn't start with a diagnosis. It started in 2019, when Luke's behaviour began to change.

"He became impulsive, aggressive, frightened and confused. He started hurting himself – biting, scratching, hitting his own body in frustration and pain.

"As his mum, all I wanted was to protect him. So I gave him my arms, my body – I let him hurt me instead, because I couldn't bear to see him hurt himself.

"We begged for help. We went to our GP over and over again, asking for support – we were told he didn't tick enough boxes, so we were left to cope alone.

"His school did what they could, but without proper interventions, the situation kept getting worse."

In April this year, Luke could "no longer cope" with the noise associated with his bus journey to and from school, and was finally provided with a specialist taxi with an escort.

However, this support was removed after he turned 16 – with Tatjana claiming that professionals only took his predicament seriously when faced with the prospect of a high-cost residential placement.

She said: "Suddenly, meetings happened, assessments appeared, everyone got involved. Not because they finally cared – but because they realised that if Luke went residential, it would cost more money. This isn't a system based on need — it's a system built on cost.

"Our children's futures are being decided by spreadsheets, not by compassion.

"That's why we created the Somerset SEND Army — because no family should have to go through this. No parent should have to choose between their own safety and their child's. No child should be left to spiral until it's too late. We are asking our MPs, councillors and Somerset Council to stop hiding behind policies and excuses.

"Work with us. Listen to us. Because when children like Luke are understood and supported, they don't just survive – they thrive.

"And when they thrive, everyone wins – families, schools, communities, the whole system."

Georgina Dykes speaks at the Somerset SEND Army protest outside County Hall in Taunton. CREDIT: Ken Bird.

"My son begged me to kill him"

Georgina Dykes, who co-founded Somerset SEND Army with Tatjana, said she had been contacted by dozens of parents since the organisation was created, wanting to share their experiences.

She said: "We've heard stories about badly written ECHPs, the refusal to grant an EHCPs, the refusal to acknowledge an EHCP is needed, and gaslighting parents into thinking their children are absolutely fine, or going through a phase.

"Many children are in the wrong settings – a huge amount of SEND children are put into a setting which doesn't yet exist, or are given the right setting and not given the transport to get there.

"Children are even bullied by professionals they're forced to trust or be around, being made to feel like they are just naughty or disobedient children.

"In fact, they don't actually have the skills or abilities to manage their emotions or behaviours – not being allowed the correct emotional support at school, or correct fidget toys, or other coping mechanisms to make a school atmosphere bearable for them.

"Many children as young as four are self-harming, or even expressing that they'd rather be dead.

"When my son begged me to kill him last year, I can't even explain how that felt. We have been failed."

Ms Dykes said that the protest was not about apportioning blame to individuals for past transgressions, but ensuring that all SEND children received the support they needed.

She went on to say: "The funding issue is total bull****. The forces above us have the money – they just don't deem our children important enough to spend it on them.

"Our children feel failed by the system, and they no longer have faith in going to school.

"There are thousands of people out there being failed or manipulated. Some parents have simply given up – and we will be a voice for them.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance speaks at the Somerset SEND Army protest outside County Hall in Taunton. CREDIT: Ken Bird

"We've gone backwards"

Yeovil MP Adam Dance – who was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD at the age of six – said it was absurd that more government funding was not being allocated to give SEND children the support they deserved.

He said: "Our children deserve better – they are our future. We shouldn't have to be fighting for extra money.

"I'm trying to bring a bill through parliament on neurodiversity. I want to make sure that there is universal screening of every primary school-aged child, because many get missed.

"I was lucky – I got diagnosed at the age of six. I had the support in school – I had a teaching assistant in every classroom.

"We've gone backwards since I left school in 2008. If I hadn't had the support, I'd be in prison now, or dead.

"My condition is a superpower – it's made me who I am today.

"Without support, we cannot do what we do best. I will fight with other MPs across the country to try and bring about change."

Councillor Heather Shearer (File photo)

Council "looking at every single way" to help children

Somerset Council told the BBC that it was dealing with 730 applications for ECHPs, of which 501 were accepted to progress to assessment by an educational psychologist.

Officers stated that there had been a 40 per cent increase in EHCP cases reaching this stage in the past year, while the average waiting time for an EHCP to be issued was 32 weeks – though this still breaches the 20-week target set by the Department for Education (DfE).

Speaking after the protest, Councillor Heather Shearer, portfolio holder for children, families and education, said: "We must make sure we spend our time doing as much of the right thing as quickly as we can. We're changing our policies and procedures so we can try and release funding into schools and parents' lives quickly and early, before their children get into a crisis."

In the last 18 months, the council has faced numerous fines from the LGSCO relating to EHCPs, with the council being penalised for failing to provide the right support or not making decisions in a timely fashion.

Ms Shearer – whose Mendip West division includes numerous villages near Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells – said: "We have brought in some external capacity to help us with EHCPs.

"We have both a national and local shortage of educational psychologists, and they are a major part in getting EHCPs created.

"We're also looking at every single way that we can release our professionals to do as much of the person-to-person family work as they can by increasing our ability to do admin more quickly – we can get days back if notes are written up by a computer.

"We can create something where people can track the progress regarding their children by looking on a portal, so they can get information as they go."

The council launched a consultation in early-October on the future shape of its children's services, under the banner of the Families First Partnership (FFP).

Residents can take part by visiting www.somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/childrens-services/children-and-families-social-care-reforms-consulta or filling out a paper feedback form at their local library before November 27.

The council has also been working on opening new SEND units at schools across the county, with more scheduled to follow in the next 12 months.

Ms Shearer added: "The big change I've seen in the last few years is how much the council actually understands how important children's services are.

"We have more demand than we can reach with the money we have – but we have to work collectively. We have had an extra £16m into this year's budget, and we have an overarching plan to try and improve SEND across the country area.

"It may take a while to see all the outcomes, but if we don't start, we won't make any change."