SEND Provision: Kent
Debate between John Hayes and Kevin McKenna(2 weeks ago)
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Kevin McKenna (Sittingbourne and Sheppey) (Lab)
I am grateful to serve under your chairship, Sir John. The stories that my hon. and learned Friend is recounting completely match those that I get in my inbox and hear in my surgeries—these stories are repeated across the county. My constituency has a higher than the national, regional and county average of people with learning disability needs, and we are just not getting the support we need.
I want to flag two things. The SEND team at the council is extremely unresponsive to parents and schools and, indeed, to me and my office—I am sure that is true for colleagues, too. There is also a pattern of schools saying they can care for a child but being turned down. That is happening over and over again, and people are being forced to travel many miles across the county in a way that is simply not possible for children with this level of need.
Sir John Hayes (in the Chair)
I remind the hon. Gentleman that interventions should be short—but I am a kind and generous Chairman.