红桃影视

Councils have been told to honour the Armed Forces Covenant 鈥� pledging fair treatment for military families 鈥� amid 鈥渇requent鈥� cases of service children left without a school place because of SEND failings.

One MP even said a council delay in issuing an education, health and care plan (EHCP)聽for a service child in his constituency was causing 鈥渟erious operational problems for the armed forces鈥�.

The (MoD) wrote to local authorities earlier this year, it has emerged, to raise how children with complex needs were 鈥渇requently鈥� unable to find a school after a service-related move.

Military families sometimes must relocate every two to three years when the serving parent鈥檚 posting changes.

Laurence Turner, the Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield, said: 鈥溾�楾he admission of widespread delays is yet more proof that SEND reform is urgently needed, and I hope that the specific needs of service families is taken into account.鈥�

Being without a school place ‘a frequent scenario’

The MoD 鈥渁dvisory note鈥�, sent in February, highlighted to councils their legal duties towards service children under both the SEND code of practice and the Armed Forces Covenant. About 36,000 military children in the UK may have SEND.

It warned 鈥渂eing without a school place following a service-related move is a frequent scenario faced by service pupils with more complex needs鈥�.

This was often due to councils adopting EHCPs on 鈥渢he day pupils arrive in their new local authority area鈥�.

While this could happen to any child moving area, the note says service children 鈥渉ave a greater likelihood of doing this more than once, thereby generating a cumulative effect鈥�.

Councils were called on to 鈥渆nsure adequate planning and preparations are made prior to the arrival of armed forces children鈥�, including completing consultations with schools beforehand.

This is already done by 19 councils with large numbers of service children who are part of MODLAP, a group chaired and overseen by the MoD

It suggested seven recommendations based on its own 鈥淪END principles鈥� to help councils 鈥渕eet the unique needs of service children with SEND鈥�.

Pupils leaving areas ‘with non-finalised EHCPs’

The note also said councils involved in MODLAP have 鈥渞ecognised the too frequent instances鈥� of service pupils with SEND 鈥渓eaving LA areas with non-finalised EHCPs鈥�.

A submission by the RAF Families Federation to the education committee鈥檚 SEND inquiry cited a case where, despite being given six months鈥� notice, one council did not look at a placement until the child arrived.

To mitigate this, MODLAP councils have agreed to honour the assessments for EHCPs from other member councils, including transferring plans that are not yet finalised.

Turner added: 鈥淭he reality is that armed forces personnel and defence resources are being tied up with exactly the same kinds of problems that are all too familiar to other families.

鈥淚 know from my own constituency casework that EHCP delays can cause serious operational problems for the armed forces.鈥�

The MP said he was unable to give details of the ongoing case, but he intended to raise it with the armed forces minister.

Collette Musgrave, the chief executive of the Army Families Federation, added the 鈥渃onsequences鈥� of such cases 鈥渃an be quite severe鈥�.

She said some families who put their children in private schools instead have been whacked by higher fees after the government applied VAT to fees.

MP demands info on resources

The SEND code of practice states bodies with statutory responsibilities for service children with SEND 鈥渟hould ensure the impact of their policies 鈥� does not disadvantage such children because of their service-related lifestyle鈥�.

But Musgrave said the government鈥檚 desire to reinvigorate the Armed Forces Covenant needs 鈥渁ctual levers to compel people to do this鈥�.

Turner is also demanding to know 鈥渢he full scale of the resources that are being devoted to mitigate wider failings in the SEND system鈥�.

A parliament question he submitted revealed the MoD runs its own education advisory team, staffed with SEND specialists, to help military families navigate the system.

It has distributed 拢1.4 million this year to schools and councils to support pupils and has commissioned research into how service life affects educational opportunities and outcomes, including during transitions to new areas. Findings will help improve provision.

Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association鈥檚 children, young people and families committee, said the SEND system is 鈥渘ot working 鈥� that鈥檚 why we are calling for reform鈥�.