18/12/06 - Swindon SEN Network Web forum goes live!

Robert Buckland's campaign to help parents of children with Special Needs now has its very own web forum.  The forum gives parents, teachers and those concerned with this subject the opportunity to exchange ideas and information.

Welcoming the forum's creation, South Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Robert Buckland said: "The internet is proving to be an invaluable tool for parents in the quest to help their children.  Websites such as Mumsnet have proved to be a source of great support and assistance for many people.  I hope that  the new web forum will become a similar resource for local parents."

The forum was publicised in a letter to today's Swindon Advertiser from Rachael Reid:

"Regarding the story headlined "Children's special needs are highlighted by MP" (SA, Dec 4) I would like to add the following.

I, unlike Anne Snelgrove, actually attended the Wroughton meeting of the newly formed SSENN - Swindon Special Educational Needs Network - on November 21.

I'm irritated, as are other members of the SSENN, that your article seems to suggest Anne Snelgrove is taking some credit for, or claiming some involvement with SSENN and its members.

This is simply not the case, so to allay any claim that Mrs Snelgrove is jumping on another bandwagon, can I please inform readers of the following: The SSENN was formed because many local parents of children with special educational needs, and practitioners who attempt to satisfy those needs, face a constant struggle to get, or provide a suitable education for these children, something which the vast majority of parents and children take for granted, and have no problem accessing.

The House of Commons Education Select Committee published a report on SEN in July that was damning of Government policy.

Its findings prompted Robert Buckland, himself the parent of a child with special educational needs, to bring parents together so a support and information network could be created.

Far too many children are not receiving the help they need at the earliest opportunity. Too many local education authorities are not statementing children until it is far too late, and the Government has failed in providing any leadership or clarity in this area.

Who remembers the slogan, "Education, Education, Education!"?

I do, but this slogan was changed slightly to "Integration, Integration, Integration!" when it was directed at the ears of the SEN community and soon led to the closure of special schools.

Ministers now deny supporting this policy, but don't seem to be doing anything to reverse matters by ensuring provision of services matched to needs.

Anne Snelgrove herself says: "This cannot be micro-managed from Whitehall."

She might be admitting that Whitehall has no intention of managing the issue, so parents will be left, as usual, to fight for their children's needs themselves. Swindon SSENN aims to help them.

So Swindon now has its own Special Educational Needs Network, which hopes to become a useful source of support and information for parents and practitioners alike. All are welcome.

We aim to help these parents help themselves, each other and practitioners in their struggle to get the best for their children from a system which continues to fail far too many of them.

Further information about joining or helping the Swindon Special Educational Needs Network can be found at the website http://www.swindon-senn.net/ or by contacting Robert Buckland by email: robbuckl@globalnet.co.uk.

R Reid.

The Prinnels.

Swindon"