Campaign to keep ‘vital’ Send nurseries open takes step forward

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Members of the Leicestershire County Council Liberal Democrat group have put forward a motion calling for four Send nurseries to be saved. Lib Dem councillors Mark Bools and Linda Broadley said the nursaries provide “essential educational support to some of the most vulnerable young children in Leicestershire”.

Leader of the Lib Dem group Michael Mullaney is supporting the motion and said he is calling on county councillors of all parties to lend their support to keeping the nurseries open.

Mullaney said the matter would be discussed on Wednesday 18 February at 2pm.

New proposals would change the way the current service is provided. The Reform-led leadership said the proposals include the provision of extra funding for nursery places for children with additional needs in mainstream settings closer to home, rather than the four specialist nurseries. These include Lift Beacon in Loughborough, Oasis Retreat in Melton Mowbray, and the Menphys sites at Wigston and Sketchley Hill in Burbage.

However, staff and parents have said special-needs children would “suffer significantly” as a result of the changes, and said they would also have a huge knock-on effect on mainstream children.

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The motion reads: “This county council believes that the four pre-school nurseries currently supported by this county council that serve children with special educational needs in the county should continue to be supported.

“The Menphys nurseries… provide essential educational support to some of the most vulnerable young children in Leicestershire.

“Many parents have expressed their anguish at the news that the nurseries could close. They offer specialist-focused teaching and expert care. To close them would mean the loss of an essential service in the county.

“[We believe] that the four nurseries should continue to remain open and urge the county council cabinet to listen to the residents of Leicestershire and this council and keep the nurseries open.”

Mullaney said: “These four nurseries are incredibly valued by parents of children at the nurseries and the community more generally. They are an essential service that supports some of the most vulnerable children in Leicestershire.

“I hope county councillors of all parties will listen to the many concerned parents and support this motion to keep these vital nurseries open”

Reform councillor Charles Pugsley previously said: “It is important to stress that these proposals are not about saving money. All of the funding we currently spend on specialist placements would be reinvested into our planned new approach.

“Studies tell us that children thrive when they’re supported close to home, which is why our plans focus on more specialist trained staff located locally in schools, rather than long distances from a child’s home.

“We are expecting the government to lay out their plans for changes to Send in their White Paper soon, and this is expected to be based around an inclusive mainstream system, with specialist support for children that need it.

“Responses will be considered before any final decision is made, and timescales will depend on the overall outcome that is taken forward.”

The report is due to be presented at the children and families scrutiny meeting on Tuesday 3 March. It is then expected to go to the council’s cabinet meeting for a final decision on Tuesday 24 March.

If the proposals go ahead, the council said the aim is to phase out the use of specialist nurseries by April 2027.

Residents can take part in the consultation here. It runs until Sunday 22 February.

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