Parents' dismay at changes to children's SEND provision in Torbay

BBC News

3 days ago

A group of parents have criticised plans to change education provision for vulnerable children who cannot attend mainstream or special schools.The parents of children in Torbay, Devon, have criticised Torbay Council for dropping services which they felt made a huge difference to the mental health of their children with SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability).They said a range of services, such as one-to-one tuition, therapy and day trips, were being removed for some children as the council changed education providers.Torbay Council said it had awarded new contracts to high-quality providers who would deliver "impactful, personalised education packages" which helped children to thrive.
Phillippa Lovell from Torquay said her 15 year-old son, who has ME and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), had not attended school in person since 2022.She said Torbay Council had funded one to one sessions for him but this ended in April 2025. She said the tutor was replaced with online education which he could not access because he struggled with light and sound.Ms Lovell said the family was initially told he would have to get a bus to an education centre in Totnes but this had been changed to online learning when she explained his difficulties.She added that if the new provision was in small groups or involved travelling, her son would not be able to do it.
Tracy Radford from Paignton said her 13-year-old son was given an EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) package when he left school in March 2025. She said he had autism and selective mutism (a disorder that means he is unable to speak in certain situations) and had suffered trauma."He was traumatised, in autistic burnout and stopped eating, so EOTAS was the way to go because the package is tailored to the child," Ms Radford said.She said Torbay Council paid for her son to have therapy and attend an academy providing alternative education for neurodivergent young people. He also visited a farm because of his love for animals.But two weeks before the end of summer term 2025, Ms Radford said the local authority told her the package was changing and he would be receiving a new timetable from September."Nothing has worked like the provision he received last term," she said. "The change in him was amazing. But now it's gone and we've been given a whole new timetable. Very full days, new providers."We had one of the new providers come out to the house to meet him. He spent the whole time under a blanket, wouldn't speak. When they left, he looked at me and said he was frightened."
Andrea Franks from Paignton has a 10 year-old son who has autism and severe speech and language difficulties. She said he was losing his sessions with a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist."His mental health only just started picking up since he started the sessions in January. "He's felt like a failure compared to his peers. He can't talk to other children to play with them."
Emma Morecroft from Torquay said her 15 year-old daughter who has selective mutism was still receiving academic support, But she had lost weekly sessions with case workers who took her on visits to help her become more independent. "If something is working so well, why change it and cause unnecessary trauma to a child that has already been through so much," she said.
'Transition opportunities'
A Torbay Council spokesperson said it had changed the way it awarded contracts for SEND as it wanted to ensure education packages were "aspirational and met assessed need"."As part of this change, last autumn we invited families accessing EOTAS provision to share their experiences and suggestions through a combination of in-person, virtual, and one-to-one discussions," the spokesman said."These insights helped us to shape the service specification, ensuring the voice of children and their experiences were central to the process."Cabinet approved the plans in December 2024. We have since carried out a full procurement process and awarded contracts to high-quality providers who we believe will deliver impactful, personalised education packages that support children to thrive."As soon as the procurement process finished, we communicated with parents about their new packages. We've also offered transition opportunities during the summer holidays. "We understand that any change can be difficult, but the team is committed to continuing to work with our learners and their families to ensure they transition successfully in September."