The areas where SEND families can’t access a summer holiday club

Parents of SEND children face a “stark” postcode lottery when it comes to finding holiday care this summer, with some expected to pay up to £900 a week. In some parts of the country, they have no viable options for the school break due to a lack of holiday clubs among councils and privately-run operators. Some families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being “turned away” because the clubs do not have enough resources, say charities. Holiday club costs in Britain rose by 5 per cent in the past year – with parents now facing a typical bill of £1,145 per child for the six-week school break ahead, according to research. The new report by Coram children’s charity found that many working parents struggle to find a holiday club in their area, with some forced to pay more for personal childminders or support workers. ‘Far too many parents find it really stressful’ SEND parents face the toughest battle of all to find a suitable holiday club, the Coram study found. Only 9 per cent of local authorities across England had enough holiday club places for at least three-quarters of SEND children in their area. Five regions in England – Inner London, Outer London, the North East, the South West, and the West Midlands – have zero councils with enough places for at least three-quarters of their SEND children. Some 12 per cent of councils in the South East had sufficient places for at least three-quarters of SEND children. This kind of provision was highest – 33 per cent – in the East Midlands. The proportion of councils reporting sufficient holiday care provision for SEND children is “really low”, said Lydia Hodges, head of family and childcare at Coram. “That is disappointing.” “Far too many parents find it really stressful to find anything convenient or affordable,” Hodges added. ‘Too many families are being turned away’ Research by the disability charity Sense also found a “stark postcode lottery” when it comes to SEND parents finding holiday childcare. Only 6 per cent of disabled children are receiving holiday club support across the country, according to a Sense survey of 114 local authorities in England. Some parents are being told by operators that they cannot cater for disabled children, the charity said. “Even in the places where there’s a holiday club available, it’s not reaching enough disabled children,” said Harriet Edwards, director of influencing at Sense. Many holiday clubs do not have the staff, specialist training or resources to support disabled children, explained Edwards. “Too many families are being turned away,” she added. “Some parents are told we can’t take your child unless your fund your own support worker. Some families told us they have given up on holiday clubs because it’s just too difficult.” ‘Barriers make holiday care unaffordable’ Melissa and Andrew Mould, who live in south London, have three children – six-year-old twins Frankie and Otis and two-year-old Remy. The parents were told by a local sports camp that they could accommodate Frankie – who has cerebral palsy – but only if he had an adult support worker. Melissa Mould with her children Frankie, Remy and Otis (Photo: Sense) That would have cost the couple £128 a day, on top of the £50-a-day charge for the sports club. They could not afford £890 a week, said Mould, forcing them to rely on family instead. “The support that Frankie needs costs around £16 an hour, and that’s on top of the cost of the club,” said the mother of three. “It just makes it unaffordable.” The family’s education, health and care plan (EHCP) funding does not cover any of the costs outside of school. “We’re lucky that my mum lives close to the school and helps out. I know many families don’t have that support,” said Mould. “I can see how people end up giving up work because it’s just not financially viable once you factor in the extra costs,” she added. Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson – chair of the Local Government Association’s children, young people and families committee – said councils “recognise there is a shortage of options, especially for children with SEND” with holiday clubs. Calling on the Government to provide more funding, he added: “We need an adequately resourced workforce with the skills, training and experience to support children with SEND, and locations that are suitable for providing enriching activities during the school holidays.” A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it recognised that the school holidays “can be a tricky time for many parents” when it came to finding affordable childcare. They said the Government has invested £200m a year in its Holiday Activities and Food programme, which funds holiday club places for families in receipt of universal credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. “More broadly, over one million parents are benefitting from our historic funded childcare roll-out, and our forthcoming childcare review will go even further to create a system that is easier and fairer for every family, all year round.”