Mother 'appalled' and 'disappointed' as complaints against SEND councillors are dismissed

A mother says she is appalled and disappointed after complaints were dismissed against three councillors for the language used during a debate on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

And the charity, Disability Rights UK, has described the conclusion of the independent report into the matter 'an insult' to disabled children and their parents.

Councillors Jeff Morgan, Brian Hammersley and Clare Golby were cleared of breaching Warwickshire County Council's code of conduct over contributions to a debate in January about an overspend in SEND for local authorities.

In the meeting, Mr Morgan questioned whether some children put forward for assessments were 'just really badly behaved' and 'in need of 'some form of strict correction'.

Mr Hammersley asked whether the rise in demand was down to 'something in the water' and Ms Golby mentioned social media pages where 'families are swapping tips on how to get their children diagnosed'.

The investigation, led by a external lawyer, found Mr Morgan and Mr Hammersley had been entitled to make comments, although disrespectful, under freedom of speech protections, while Ms Golby's words were not deemed to have been disrespectful.

It also found that Mr Morgan and Mr Hammersley's comments failed to 'champion the needs of the whole community' and uphold the reputation of the council.

Meanwhile, Ms Golby’s words were not deemed to have caused reputational damage or have evidenced a failure to champion the needs of the whole community.

In part of a statement issued by Ms Goby in which she highlighted some words as shown, she said: "On 13 June 2024, the investigation report was published completely exonerating me concluding that when considered in the full context of what was said, not how others have presented my words, my comments were not reflective of the accusations made.

"The investigation conducted by an independent law firm external to any council thoroughly examined the complaints against me and the context in which my comments were made, finding no evidence to support the complaints. Because I simply didn't do what I had been accused of doing."

Khizra Bano, who made a complaint against the councillors alongside hundreds of others said: "What I would like to know from the council is, if this doesn't breach their code of conduct then what would it take?"

Asked if the councillors were simply doing their job by questioning the unprecedented demand in a time of soaring costs, she responded: "Their words to parents of special needs children like: 'what these children need is strict correction' is dangerous and the fact that it's not been dealt with sets a very dangerous precedent.

"This isn't Joe Bloggs down the pub making stupid bigoted comments. This is people in positions of authority and the misinformation that they spread has real world consequences for the most vulnerable children."

Bethany Bale who specialises in education policy for the charity Disability Rights UK said in reaction to the report's conclusion: "It's an insult to the lived experience of disabled children and their parents.

"There was one comment (in the report's conclusion) about reputational damage to Warwickshire Council. This isn't about Warwickshire Council and their reputation. It's about disabled children who can't access education and then go on to not be able to access employment, to be socially excluded."

At the time the leader of the council Cllr Izzy Seccombe offered a 'heartfelt apology' to parents saying 'the upset to families is the thing that I find very hurtful.'

In a statement following the report's conclusion a spokesperson for Warwickshire County Council said: "This has been a difficult and lengthy process, and we would like to thank everyone who contributed to the investigation.

"We want to reassure residents that a thorough investigation has been undertaken and the views of all complainants were considered as part of that process.

"We continue to work hard to build on the relationship we have with Warwickshire families, and we remain committed to working in partnership to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families in Warwickshire."

Later a spokesperson added: "We want to reassure that we absolutely recognise the distress the comments have caused and that our focus is now on moving forward to build on relationships."

After the comments were made, more than 30,000 people signed a petition calling for the councillors to resign. All three have apologised.