Letters: Every nursery and school should have free training and more funding for SEND

A reader working in early years care responds to Big Issue’s recent features on the future of SEND provision.

SEND help

I have been a director of a day nursery for 17 years. Over this time we have seen many children with special educational needs. We have a dedicated SENCO leader and every member of staff is dedicated to spot signs of children struggling. We were fortunate to get a grant from Nottinghamshire County Council to create a sensory room as a calming space. 

Every nursery and school should have free training to understand the traits of autism and ADHD, plus more funding for those children who need one-to-one care, instead of a maximum help of 12 hours per week, when they attend up to 50 hours a week.

Kerry Tarpey

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Pause for thought 

Having read Isobel’s experience of menopause it totally resonates with me. I almost lost my life due to severe debilitating symptoms in 2019. I had worked over 15 years as a special needs classroom assistant when suddenly my memory became so bad. I had a four-stone weight loss over a four-month period, and insomnia. Doctors wouldn’t listen to my pleas to let me try HRT. Instead, I was given sleeping pills and antidepressants which did me no good at all.  

I made serious attempts to end my life and was admitted to Leverndale and Dykebar [mental health hospitals] for four long months where I didn’t improve at all. It took me another two years of research, with help from Diane Danzebrink who formed the support group Menopause Support. After HRT I got better every day. But I’d lost a job I loved, and affected my family relationships and friendships.

Joan Graham, Renfrewshire

The reform we need

In his article about the threat of Reform UK, John Bird writes “The majority voted for Starmer’s leadership”. Even disregarding the possibility that some of the people who voted Labour in 2024 voted for a reason other than wanting Starmer’s leadership (eg to get rid of the Tories), the government were not voted for by a majority – they got just under 34% of the votes. It is possible that at the next election Reform UK could win a landslide with a minority of votes, which is extremely undesirable for all the reasons set out in John’s article. The UK has a dysfunctional electoral system. We urgently need electoral reform, so that seats (and power) reflect votes.

R Donaldson

Read more:

• Children with SEND need support. The government must not restrict their rights
• Mainstream school was right for my daughter. SEND changes could cause more harm than good
• It was a traumatic, hellish fight trying to get SEND support for my daughter

Counting the cost

I am a landlord in the private rental market. I own three properties and my tenants have lived in these houses for 10 years. My gross monthly income from them is £2,500 and this is my main source of income. I have promised my tenants that their rent will never be increased by more than the rate of inflation.

I have had EPC [Energy Performance Certificate] inspections, and in order to bring these properties up to EPC C I will have to spend at least £20,000 per property. There is no way I can possibly afford that type of outlay. 

If the Labour government continues with the proposal for all private rental properties to achieve EPC C ratings by 2030, I will sadly have no choice but to evict my tenants. This government is making it impossible for me to continue in this sector by expecting me to meet ever increasing legislative costs which I cannot afford.

Julie Llama

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Gets our vote

We are a volunteer led and non-party aligned group called ‘Youth Voting Matters’ based in Scotland.

We would just like to share how informative we found last year’s special edition of Big Issue titled ‘We are the future’, giving a snapshot of young people today and their contributions to society.

With the upcoming parliamentary elections in Scotland, Senedd in Wales, and the Assembly in Northern Ireland, along with local elections in England, we would like to encourage young people to register to vote in the hope they will use this opportunity to raise their voices in the elections.

Our experience here in Glasgow suggests there is a lack of understanding and insight into the process of registering, and people are unaware that they can vote at age 16. Turnout in local elections tends to be very low.

Please could you print our poster to show how simple it is to register to vote? Anyone can do so via the QR code.

Thank you for the production of Big Issue and bringing relevant issues to the attention of the public.

Mags Higgins and Rose Main, Youth Voting Matters

States of play

As well as part-hosting the FIFA World Cup, the USA wants to host the Rugby League World Cup in 2030. Three of the 10 teams most likely to qualify are Tonga, Lebanon and the Cook Islands. Trump has banned Tongans from going to the US. The Israel lobby is sure to try to exclude Lebanon or at least some of their players and the Cooks, as pioneers of climate change campaigns, are unlikely to be welcome. World Rugby League: don’t go there!

Roger Jenking, Oxford

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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