Within the letter, the coalition, which is led by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the National Deaf Children’s Society, Speech and Language UK, and Voice 21, says that ‘long-term investment is needed now to plug gaps in the specialist workforce supporting children in schools.’
Without action, they warn that children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at increased risk of poorer educational outcomes.
In the letter, the coalition, which includes charities, professional bodies and associations, trade unions and parent and carer organisations, highlight a series of inadequacies in the specialist support children and young people can access.
According to the coalition, the need for specialists for children with SEND and disabilities is increasing, but there are insufficient numbers being trained to meet such demand. On top of this, many specialists are failing to retrain, with high numbers leaving the workforce permanently.
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