Specialist SEND solicitor to speak to sell-out audience of Island parents

Isle of Wight parent carers will welcome specialist SEND solicitor Michael Charles to the Island on Friday to talk about education, SEND Law and what the Isle of Wight ‘Safety Valve’ agreement means for families.

Tickets are sold out, and there is a waiting list, for the event at Newport Congregational Church.

Mr Charles is a solicitor specialising in education, and is senior partner and CEO at Sinclairs Law.

He has worked on high-profile education law cases.

The Safety Valve scheme is a voluntary agreement between the IW local authority and the Department for Education which aims to bring the council's SEND deficit to zero.

The group is concerned about the agreement, saying it isn't extra money for education, but money to clear the debt created by underfunding from national government.

Isle of Wight SEN Support, a volunteer-led local group of parent/carers who are hosting the event, said they are concerned the agreement will limit support for local children based on financial targets rather than the needs of the child.

They are concerned there will be targets to reduce the number of EHCPs or move children from specialist/bespoke settings into mainstream settings.

A spokesperson said: "We do not feel these plans have been properly scrutinised or co-produced with local families who have not been properly represented in discussions, and these plans are shrouded in secrecy – despite several Freedom of Information requests.

"It is already incredibly difficult as parent-carers to navigate an incredibly complicated and hostile system to make sure our children are afforded their rights to an education so that they may thrive.

"We hear stories every day from Island parents at their wits’ end; the system is in crisis.

"We have valid concerns the Safety Valve scheme will exacerbate this. It does not make financial sense in the long-term to deny children the early support and interventions they need; it costs more further down the line."

The aim of the event is to help parents and carers learn more about the Safety Valve agreement and SEND law.

To join the waiting list for tickets, or for more information, email hello@iowsensupport.org