Latest news with #WirralCouncil
ITV News
a day ago
- Health
- ITV News
Rise in school absence among autistic kids leaves Wirral family at breaking point
A growing number of children with special educational needs are missing out on school across the North West, with many families reporting long waits for support and diagnoses. Among them is 15-year-old Charlie Jones from Wallasey, who hasn't attended school in two months. He's one of thousands of autistic pupils struggling to access mainstream education, a trend experts say reflects broader challenges in the system, not just individual cases. 'I love learning,' Charlie says. 'I just want to do it in the right environment.' Charlie has been waiting more than two years for an autism diagnosis. His parents, Michelle and Dave, say school became overwhelming, and the lack of timely support left them with no choice but to remove him. 'We've had to work it all out ourselves - what he needs, how to apply for help, how to keep him learning while holding down jobs,' says Michelle. 'It's felt like a constant uphill climb.' Charlie's Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which outlines additional support for his education, was only issued this year, after the legal deadline had passed. While it's a vital step, his parents feel it came too late to prevent disruption. Wirral City Council have since apologised for the late entry of the EHCP, which it says was caused by an error in Charlie's date of birth on the form. Figures suggest Charlie's situation is not unique. In the 2023–24 academic year, 8,090 autistic pupils in the North West were persistently absent from school, up from 2,534 in 2017–18. That's a 219% increase over five years. Wirral Council currently has the highest rate of persistent absence among autistic pupils in the region. A recent Ofsted report acknowledged 'longstanding failings' in provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In a statement, Wirral Council said: 'In September 2024, Wirral Council committed to an additional £2.8m in recurrent funding to increase the size of its statutory SEND service, doubling the size of the team of caseworkers. The new service, SENDSTART, has been fully staffed since January 2025 and whilst this has yet to have an impact of 20-week compliance rates, the number of Education, Health and Care Plans being finalised has increased significantly. In both months March and April this year, more children had their EHCPs finalised than the totality of the sixth months previous. 'The Local Area Partnership understands there is much more remaining to be done until it is providing consistently good support and services to children and young people with SEND but is committed to doing so. A new SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy and Joint Commissioning Plan are about to be launched, outlining priorities and improvements to be made over the next three years. It is through the partnerships across agencies, and mostimportantly, with dynamic parent carer groups that we will make this change for the benefit of our children and their futures.' Charities agree that the system is under strain. Danae Leaman-Hill from Ambitious About Autism says: 'There are more children needing support than ever before. Services are stretched, but that doesn't change the fact that these are formative years, and delays can have long-term consequences.' A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said:" Responding to feedback from parents, families, and children and young people, we are launching a new neurodevelopmental pathway and vision for neurodiversity services across Cheshire and Merseyside in June 2025. Schools will be supported by the NHS and Local Authorities to be trained in the use of the 'This Is Me' profiling tool to better understand the child's needs - leading to a targeted early support offer in response to those needs. "This work is part of our 'Partnerships for the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools' (PINS) programme, which builds schools' capacity to support the needs of neurodiverse children. "This is an important step forward, but we know that there is still plenty of work to be done.' For Charlie, the hope is that the system will catch up with him and others. He's currently waiting to hear if he's been accepted into a new school that may better suit his needs. 'We're hopeful,' says Dave. 'We just want him to have the chance to thrive.'
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Councillor Marion Atkinson sees off leadership challenge in Sefton
Councillor sees off leadership challenge 9 minutes ago Share Save Claire Hamilton BBC Political Reporter, Merseyside Share Save Local Democracy Reporting Service Marion Atkinson saw off the leadership challenge just over a year after she was elected to the role A Merseyside councillor has seen off a leadership challenge just over a year after she was appointed to the role. Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson was challenged by Sudell ward councillor James Hansen at a meeting on Tuesday night, with just five votes between the Labour politicians. Atkinson became Sefton's first female council leader when she was elected in January 2024, and has been the only female leader on Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Meanwhile, Labour's Paula Basnett was elected as new Labour leader of Wirral Council and is set to become council leader at a meeting later this month. As leader of Sefton Council's largest party, Marion Atkinson is set to continue to lead the authority. She has overseen investment in Bootle's Salt and Tar venue as leader, and she was relatively new in the role when she led the council's response to the Southport stabbing attack in July 2024. Basnett, who represents the Rock Ferry ward, is set to take over from previous Wirral Council leader Paul Stuart after he stood down, and she will become leader at a full council meeting on 21 May. As the authority has no overall control, any leader needs the support of at least 34 councillors from a minimum of two political parties. Basnett will therefore be seeking support from opposition parties in the council going forward. Her election follows weeks of speculation about an internal battle within Wirral Labour over the top job. Wirral Council Paula Basnett is set to become the new leader of Wirral Council Basnett, who was elected two years ago, said she would look to restore trust in the council's finances, speed up regeneration and housing projects, and focus on building cleaner, safer neighbourhoods. Before she entered politics, she worked as an investment manager at Wirral Council before taking over the Wirral Chamber of Commerce following a funding crisis in 2013. She remains the organisation's chair. The Chamber of Commerce has historically had a close relationship with Wirral Council, with the organisation receiving funding for a business support service contract as well as receiving £1.4m of Town Deal money to support the purchase and refurbishment of Egerton House in Birkenhead. The building was sold in 2024 to the Chamber of Commerce for £1.9m. However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the Chamber publicly criticised the council last year about a high turnover in the local authority's regeneration department and alleged lack of engagement with the business sector. Though Basnett was copied into an email at the time, a representative for the Chamber said she had remained independent over the matter. 'Future direction concerns' Commenting on the election, leader of Wirral's Conservatives Jeff Green said: "Wirral's Conservative councillors are not interested in the internal politics of the Labour Party but we are worried for the future direction of the council. He said that over the last two years they had "worked constructively with all the parties to 'right size' the council, while tackling the issues inherited from previous Labour administrations". Green said that while they waited to hear from the new leader of the Labour Group, "I can assure her, and the taxpayers of the borough, that our position has not changed". "If it's good for the residents of Wirral and improves the performance of the council, we'll support it," he added. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Firm behind New Brighton revamp hits back in noise row
A businessman whose company has been credited with the revival of a seaside resort has rejected concerns over late-night noise from one of his venues. Dan Davies, from Rockpoint Leisure, has asked Wirral Council to let his New Brighton bar Rockpoint Records open until 01:30. But six objections have been received from people who claim the move would increase "nuisance" and "antisocial behaviour".Mr Davies said there was no intention to stay open into the early hours every day, adding there had been no complaints from the police or environmental health officers about his plan. Mr Davies said: "We work with the other licensed premises. I spend a huge amount of time making the road look nice. "I have painted a number of things I do not own just to help other people out. "I want to be a good neighbour."Mr Davies company has been behind the refurbishment and reopening of a number of previously empty units on Victoria Street. He has previously said he saw New Brighton as the Wirral's Brookyln to Liverpool's Manhattan. He said he had asked for the later licence to help make the business more viable. "We take half of our weekly turnover in 10 hours on a Friday and Saturday. That allows us to open up on Mondays and Tuesdays when it costs us to be open."The reason we do that is I want New Brighton to be open seven days a week. "That has a number of advantages especially in regeneration and also public safety, antisocial behaviour even down to things like public wellbeing, isolation, mental health, all of those things."The report on which the committee will base its decision states the objections from residents "relate to public nuisance being caused by noise from entertainment emanating from the premises". It adds: "The representations also relate to nuisance being caused by customers of the premises drinking alcohol at the front of the premises and anti-social behaviour from customers leaving the premises."The application is due to go before councillors 7 May. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mum given £3.5k pay-out over Wirral Council education plan failure
A mother and daughter have received a £3,500 pay-out after a council apologised for the "distress" caused by failings that meant her teenage daughter dropped out of Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) investigated a complaint by the mother, referred to as Mrs B, about delays in assessments, poor communication and a lack of support from Wirral Council. It was over the education, health and care plan (EHCP) for her daughter, referred to as C, who has special education needs and disabilities (SEND).Wirral Council said the authority "wholeheartedly accept the Ombudsman's findings" and publicly apologised. C went into year 11 in 2023 and hoped to move into further education in 2024, the Local Democracy Reporting Service had received support to help her complete her GCSEs and her mother asked the council to assess whether an EHCP - a special extra plan of support - was needed. 'Distressing impact' The council agreed to the request but no plan was in place by the time C had started at her new school in mid September C was "experiencing symptoms associated with her special educational needs that had a distressing impact on her", the LGO ombudsman then got involved who found the family had not had any contact from their caseworker since July 2024. By mid October C was no longer in college. Finding the council at fault, the LGO said: "Part of the fault clearly lies in the service failure resulting from the council having too few education psychologists last year to meet demand." During the process, the council said it was facing a shortage of education the LGO said, while there was a nationwide shortage, Wirral Council had "systemic problems" meeting timescales for completing EHC assessments which had been noted in an Ofsted inspection more than three years ago so "pre-date" spikes in demand last year. The council said it would be outlining the next steps on how it is improving services following a recent Ofsted inspection. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Irish Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Irish firm Sisk involved in Birkenhead regeneration project
AN IRISH construction firm, John Sisk & Son, is progressing with early-stage works on a major £52 million regeneration scheme in Birkenhead, Merseyside. The Hind Street Urban Village project will transform a 26-hectare brownfield site near the town centre into a new residential and commercial district. The area, once home to industrial uses including a gasworks, will eventually host up to 1,600 homes, along with new commercial space, community amenities, and green infrastructure. Sisk, which is headquartered in Dublin and was founded in Cork in 1859, has been appointed to carry out enabling works. These include vegetation clearance, ground investigations, and other site preparations ahead of full-scale remediation and infrastructure activity, expected to begin in autumn 2025. The project is being led by Wirral Council in partnership with ION Developments, with backing from Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who together are contributing a £52 million funding package. The first phase will deliver 633 homes, with major construction projected to begin in 2027. A key feature of the masterplan is Dock Branch Park, a proposed linear park running along a disused railway line to better connect residential neighbourhoods with the town centre. Sisk's involvement underscores the firm's growing footprint in the UK's urban regeneration sector. Its British portfolio includes the International Convention Centre Wales, work on London's Crossrail, and major healthcare and university projects. The company is known for managing large-scale developments across residential, commercial, infrastructure, and data centre sectors. The Hind Street scheme is seen as a cornerstone of Wirral's wider regeneration strategy, which aims to make Birkenhead more liveable, better connected, and greener. Local authorities hope the project will act as a catalyst for broader renewal across the town and surrounding areas.
