Parents are calling for three county councillors to resign after comments suggesting some SEND children are "just really badly behaved".

Cllr Jeff Morgan, the portfolio holder for children and families until May 2023 and now vice-chair of Warwickshire County Council, also suggested such children may need "some form of strict correction". 

The Conservative councillor's comments came as the authority's children and young people overview and scrutiny committee discussed the mounting costs for local SEND provision last month.

In the same meeting Cllr Brian Hammersley asked whether there was "something in the water" causing a rise in demand for SEND services.

"The problem appears to me to be why so many people now are having all these issues when there were very few when I was at school having these special needs," he added.

While Cllr Clare Golby said she had seen families "swapping tips on how to get their children diagnosed" on social media.

Clips of the councillors' comments have since been circulated on social media.

The authority said it had received a number of complaints which were being considered by the council's monitoring officer.

Major Backlash

Local parents have since taken to social media to criticise the "insensitive" and "horrifying" comments.

Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice said in a statement the comments were "unacceptable" and a formal complaint against the three councillors had been submitted.

Others on social media have accused the councillors of knowing "nothing about SEN conditions". 

MP for Warwick and Leamington Matt Western said he had received emails from many parents who are "simply horrified and understandably seriously upset by these comments from local councillors".

He said he would be writing to the leader of the council, Cllr Izzi Seccombe to make clear his sincere concern over the views expressed by the county councillors.  

He added: "I have met and spoken to SEND parents about a range of issues, and they are already under immense pressure trying to get the support their children need and rightly deserve.  

"Comments like these only serve to undermine them and their children.

"Councillors' efforts should be going into understanding the difficulties these families face and how they can be supported, not questioning the legitimacy of their needs."

An online petition has also been launched to urge the council to prioritise SEND funding and to have the three councillors removed.

"This discriminatory viewpoint is unacceptable from those who hold public office," the petition said.

"Their words reflect a broader issue within our council where SEN funding is regarded as a last priority."

It added: "We demand that Warwickshire Council immediately dismiss Councillors Morgan, Golby, and Hammersley for their discriminatory remarks against SEN children.

"Furthermore, we insist on an immediate review of how SEN funding is prioritized within the council's budget allocations."

The petition now has 4,500 signatures.

Parliamentary candidate for Kenilworth and Southam Jenny Wilkinson said: "The comments made by these Warwickshire County Councillors regarding SEND children are absolutely disgraceful.

"Until recently, I was a SEND governor so I have seen first hand the desperate need for additional funding to ensure all our children can have the education they deserve."

Local MP Matt Western has labelled the comments 'unnaceptable' (image supplied)

One grandmother, 54, whose two grandsons have additional needs said she was "disgusted" by the comments made at the meeting.

The retired bank customer service worker said her daughter called her in tears when she watched a video of the meeting.

Her 12-year-old grandson has autism while is six-year-old brother is awaiting assessment for suspected ADHD.

The gran said: "I knew nothing about any of this until it impacted my family.

"My daughter sent me the video and she was that upset she called me in tears.

"I thought 'that's disgusting'.

"These people need to be not brought to justice, because there is no justice, but just told that that is not on.

"You do not sit there and say that SEND people should be institutionalised.

"Yes you have naughty children, but some of them aren't naughty.

"It's infuriated me and I am not usually that sort of person."

Growing Demand

During the council's meeting at which the comments were made, members were told of the mounting pressures on council services.

Officers said the council's SEND projects have a shortfall of £17.5 million for the financial year 2023-24 alone.

There are more than 15,000 children and young people with SEND in Warwickshire's state-funded schools, almost 12,000 of which are supported through funding allocated to directly schools. 

The rest – 3,632 – have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) with their additional, often more complex, needs funded through the high needs block, a pot of money allocated to the council by government. 

ECHPs don't just cover those of school age, they are there to cover needs from birth or the point needs are identified to the age of 25 and there are now just shy of 6,000 children or young people in Warwickshire receiving help overall – an increase of 37 per cent over the past five years.

Ross Caws, head of SEND and inclusion at Warwickshire County Council, replied: "Part of that is increased need and part of that is the increased understanding of need.

"There is an increased rate of diagnosis of children with autism, increased understanding of mental health conditions and increased survival of children with conditions at birth, so there are many good reasons for that in terms of understanding those needs. 

"On top of that, we have to look at how we meet those needs early, identification and intervention, and whether needs are escalating because the right support isn't being put in place at the right time."

All three councillors have been approached for comment by Nub News.