Senior councillor quits after clash over SEND plans

A senior councillor has resigned after clashing with his officers about provision for children with special educational needs.

Sam Journet has been the cabinet member for education, SEND and skills at Essex County Council since Reform UK took control of the local authority in May.

In a public letter addressed to the council leader, he said his "focus" needed to be on his new role as leader of the opposition at Basildon Council.

However, he also took issue with officers at Essex on occasions where they have refused applications for children's education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

"Some of what I've seen from civil servants has shocked me and doesn't sit comfortably with me," he wrote.

"EHCP requests have been refused and there have been cases where I directed officers that a decision be reconsidered and that did not happen.

"I wasn't asking for a particular outcome. I was asking for decisions to be looked at again because of the struggles SEND children and their families are facing in our community."

Essex County Council has been approached for comment.

SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities.

An EHCP is the legally-binding document setting out the support children need up to the age of 25.

A local authority may refuse to issue an EHCP if it feels the child's needs can be met from already available resources or additional school support.

The process should take a maximum of 20 weeks from the initial request for an assessment, to the final plan being issued.

According to a recent county council report, the council was issuing 17% of EHCPs within this timeframe.

In September, Journet told the BBC he wanted to be hitting the 80-90% mark by next July.

The council has been investing extra money in the EHCP process - spending more on educational psychologists - as part of what it has called Operation Backlog.

Councillors were told the volume of EHCP requests in Essex had increased by 1,900 - up to 4,706 - compared with five years ago.

In his letter to leader Peter Harris, Journet said he would not stand "idly by" while parents felt "their concerns haven't been heard".

"I must protect my own morals and integrity whilst working in public life," he said.

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