Highland Council class cuts leave Inverness mum ‘terrified’
A MOTHER has issued a desperate plea for Highland Council to reconsider “horrifying” cuts to additional support needs (ASN) services.
Carrie Watts joins a growing number of parents voicing fears about cuts to numbers of ASN staff and pupils support assistants (PSAs) she believes will impact her children’s “mental health, physical wellbeing, and ability to reach their full potential.”
But despite being the mother of two autistic sons – Noah (5) and Joseph (10) – who both need “substantial support” at Inshes Primary, she said it was not just their wellbeing she is worried about but how cuts will affect the whole classroom.
February’s council budget included plans to cut spending on education support staff over the next three years by £5.9 million.
Despite claims that pupils with severe and complex needs will “continue to receive the highest level of support”, more than 5500 people so far have signed an online petition against the moves.
Mrs Watts said: “As a mother I feel desperation in the face of this plan. My children both rely, emotionally and practically, on their ASN and PSA support.
“The only reason I feel safe leaving them at school is that I know they have this incredible network of support around them. To think that they will lose it, that our whole family will lose these dedicated professionals who make such a difference to our lives on a daily basis, both enrages and terrifies me.”
The move by the local authority, she said, has put parents in a terrible position.
“We want to protect our children from the people who would hurt them,” she said. “It is unfathomable to me that the people from whom I need to protect them are the council elected to ensure their rights.”
She said that “every single child in a mainstream classroom will suffer” if the plans go ahead as, without support, class teachers will inevitably have to give more of their time and energy to pupils with additional needs.
Mrs Watts said she doubts whether proper consideration has been given to the potential impact of the cuts.
“We all want a council that runs a cost-effective and progressive government,” she said. “But what kind of government makes a decision of this magnitude with no data, no expertise or specialist training in the field of additional support needs, no consultation with organisations or families that will be affected – with the attitude that we’ll just have to wait and see what happens?”
Inverness South SNP councillor Ken Gowans said: “It comes as no surprise that councillors have been inundated by emails from concerned parents about this worrying development. Since the budget the council’s chief executive has written to councillors to offer assurance that she has been talking to head teachers and the results were ‘positive’.
“But as yet I don’t think she has engaged with the most important people – the parents of the children with ASN and otherwise – who will be affected by the policy.”
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A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “The council’s focus is on embedding professional practice and skills within the school system, enabling Highland schools to build capacity in the classroom and support staff at all levels to identify and respond appropriately to needs in an inclusive and appropriate way that recognises the evolving knowledge we have around the variety of complex needs that exist in 21st century society.
“A phased approach will be taken to resource allocation so that it is equitable and targeted to where it is most needed.
“We will be identifying resource allocations for next year and these will be available in May.”
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