Derbyshire SEND provision at 'crisis point' as local MPs call for change
Nine of the county's eleven MPs have spoken in a debate on the future of services for children with special educational needs
Last updated 14th Feb 2025
Derbyshire is at a “crisis point” over children with special educational needs with families being “failed on an “industrial scale” for years, MPs have said in Parliament.
Nine of Derbyshire’s 11 MPs – all Labour – took part in a Parliamentary discussion on the county’s issues with support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
This follows a highly critical joint Ofsted and CQC inspection report on SEND support provided by Derbyshire County Council (DCC) and the county’s health and social care system last year.
Linsey Farnsworth, Amber Valley MP, speaking in the House of Commons, said: “Phones are not answered and emails go un-responded to. It is not sustainable for this to be the status quo.
“Many children are missing significant portions of their education, with some falling out of school altogether. That is all while DCC fails to communicate.
“Parents and carers talk about barriers at every stage of the process and about how they are ‘ignored’ by an ‘unresponsive’ council
“Our children and their families are paying the price. These children are missing education, being labelled as ‘disruptive’ and suffering from poor mental health.
“The Conservatives at DCC have acknowledged the failings and issued an apology.
“That is a necessary first step, but it is far from sufficient. It has been five months since Ofsted uncovered widespread and systemic failings. Although the council claims to be making improvements, the pace of change is far too slow.
“We are at a crisis point in Derbyshire. We cannot allow this situation to continue. The children of Derbyshire deserve better. Their families deserve better. And we, as Labour MPs, demand better.”
Ms Farnsworth said a family in her constituency was handed two fines by the county council for non-attendance of their child in school, despite not providing them with sufficient SEN support. One was withdrawn following her involvement and another thrown out in court, she said.
John Whitby, Derbyshire Dales MP, described the situation as “utter chaos” made worse by a “revolving door of senior officers, unfilled posts, consultants and temporary positions”.
Catherine Atkinson, Derby North, said children in the city faced a year-long wait for SEN tribunals, “causing agony as they are left in limbo”.
Jon Pearce, High Peak MP, said: “DCC has been failing families on an industrial scale
“The families I have met in my constituency are frustrated, exhausted and angry. They feel they are facing a system that seems to be actively working against them, rather than having their back.
“This is not a problem of increasing needs, but the result of absolute systemic failings in DCC and the system more widely.”
Adam Thompson, Erewash MP, said the authority had “consistently failed my constituents, as it has failed constituents across the county, causing anxiety and frustration in making any progress on the education and care of our children”.
He said the process of obtaining support is “complicated, long, unnecessarily drawn out, and incredibly painful for the children and families involved”.
Mr Thompson said one family in his constituency had been assigned nine different case officers over the past few years by the council, saying the authority was “failing our most vulnerable children every single day”.
Natalie Fleet, Bolsover MP, providing examples of issues faced by her constituents, said: “A mum from Shirebrook was in tears on the doorstep because her baby had been let down so badly; a teaching assistant in Creswell told me how overwhelmed she was because the demand for resource was so high and the resource available so low; and a little boy in Clowne is self-harming because he just wants to go to school like all his friends.
“Every one of those stories is a personal tragedy for the people involved. Childhoods are being lost. Family finances are put under strain. Relationships are breaking down. In a battle to help special educational needs children to reach their potential, parents and teachers are hitting a brick wall.”
Samantha Niblett, South Derbyshire MP, said the council’s “chronic mismanagement of this crisis” was “indefensible”.
She said: “The reams of families who contact me for support deserve better, and the countless families across Derbyshire who are fighting to secure the right provision for their children deserve so much better.”
Louise Jones, North East Derbyshire MP, said: “We know that SEND provision all across the country has been struggling in general, but it is clear that there are other factors at play in Derbyshire to result in such a dire finding.”
Jonathan Davies, Mid Derbyshire MP, said the critical Ofsted/CQC report gave families a “sense of vindication”.
He said: “Up to that point, they were almost feeling that maybe it was them, maybe they did not understand or appreciate the situation, or maybe they were the only one. But that report gave local people a sense that they were not alone.”
Catherine McKinnell, minister for school standards, said: “SEND outcomes in Derbyshire and nationally are an issue we all care passionately about.
“I acknowledge the challenges that far too many families face when seeking to secure the right support for their children with special educational needs and disabilities and that the system absolutely needs to improve, and we are determined to make progress and to make the change.
“We need to deliver the very best for all of our children and young people, including those with SEND. We need to give them the very best start in life, and prepare them for life, work and the future. I thank all who work to deliver that tirelessly day in, day out. Despite the challenges set out tonight, I am confident that together, with determination, we can see that change.”
Cllr Alex Dale, county council cabinet member for education, said: “While originally welcoming this debate as a chance for constructive discussion around the local and national challenges within the SEND system, ultimately this was an opportunity lost.
“I worry that yesterday’s ‘debate’ shows that Derbyshire’s Labour MPs care more about grandstanding, mudslinging and cynically using Derbyshire’s most vulnerable children to score political points, than they do about actually trying to fix the problems.
“We didn’t hear a single constructive solution or suggestion for what Labour would do differently, nor any commitment to working together with the local area partnership in a meaningful way to support our improvement plan.
“Ultimately this is about Derbyshire children, not politicians slinging mud from the sidelines, or, as it was yesterday, a Labour echo chamber.
“I urge them to reconsider their approach and to work with us as a local area partnership in trying to continue to improve a system we know still has a long way to go. By all means they should hold the partnership to account, but they owe it to Derbyshire children and families to do so in a meaningful and constructive way, which sadly is not what we saw in Wednesday’s debate.”
A spokesperson for NHS Derby and Derbyshire said: “As a partnership we have accepted the findings of the Ofsted and CQC reports.
“We are continuing to work hard to improve the NHS services that provide support and care to children who have special educational needs and disabilities.
“As a partnership we have made good progress in agreeing a joint plan for improvement and in involving parents, carers and children so their voice is heard.
“There is a great deal of work to do, but we are determined across the education, health and social care system to do everything we can to support children in Derbyshire to thrive at home, in school and in their community.”