Overnight residential accommodation for children with SEND is set to be continued.
Overnight residential accommodation is provided at special schools Cicely Haughton in Wetley Rocks and Horton Lodge in Rudyard.
Staffordshire County Council had reviewed the service, which is provided at five of the 23 special schools in the county.
The current contract was due to end in the summer of 2024 and now the Cabinet member responsible will be recommending to the County Council’s Cabinet that the contract be extended until July 2026.
Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Education and SEND, said: “This is a non-statutory service which costs the council £1.8 million a year so it’s only right that we regularly review it and check that we, parents and, above all, the children get the right service.
“When we approached parents, carers and the schools about this, we said we did so with an open mind and that we wanted them to engage with us and tell us how and why they valued the service.
“We received a great deal of feedback and I thank everyone involved for their time, energy and enthusiasm and that’s why I wanted them to know as soon as possible that I will be recommending to colleagues that the contract be extended.”
The five schools are Cicely Haughton, at Wetley Rocks; Horton Lodge at Rudyard; Loxley Hall School, near Uttoxeter; Saxon Hill Academy, Lichfield; and Walton Hall Academy, near Eccleshall.
The opportunities provided are not respite care and they are not part of any child’s Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), so are classed as additional provision rather than an integral part of a child’s education.
Jonathan Price added: “The schools have been very passionate about this provision.
“I think the challenge for them is to broaden access so as many eligible children as possible can benefit from it and that is an issue we will be discussing with them in the coming months.”
Karen Bradley MP for the Moorlands added:
“I am absolutely delighted to hear about this recommendation. I have spoken to staff, children and parents at these schools and know just how important this residential support is to them.
“I understand that the Cabinet at SCC will formally consider the proposal in the New Year and look forward to a positive outcome.”
