Campaigners demand urgent action to tackle ‘shocking neglect’ of autistic children in Llanelli

CAMPAIGNERS are demanding urgent action to tackle the ‘shocking neglect’ of autistic children in Llanelli.

The recent report commissioned by Carmarthenshire County Council indicated that 115 children have no suitable education provision and many others face a three year wait for an official diagnosis.

Laying the blame for the ‘appalling scandal’ at the door of the Plaid Cymru-led Carmarthenshire County Council, the campaigners are  gearing up to fight for the ‘basic human rights’ of the children to be honoured.

The action call comes just after the county council gave the go-ahead for a long-awaited replacement for Ysgol Heol Goffa special school in Llanelli following a long campaign and 9,000-plus name petition.

Although the campaign group welcomes the building of a modern replacement school for 150 students in a few years, they are concerned that the recommendations in Option 4 of the report are only partially being adhered to and many autistic children will not be catered for.

Leading Labour politicians in the town say they want the educational needs of all autistic children across Carmarthenshire to also be made a priority.

Town councillor Shaun Greaney, who represents the Lliedi ward, and helped spearhead the campaign for a new Ysgol Heol Goffa school to replace the over-capacity, outdated and substandard building, said: “The situation faced by children with autism and their families in Llanelli is an appalling scandal.

“In my view there has been shocking neglect of their needs. Early intervention is essential to give these children the life chances they deserve.

“Yet the county council seems to have no clear plan, no timescale for action, and no answers to the problem, which is growing in scale.”

“These other children, their parents and families deserve much better. They have been virtually forgotten and neglected.”

Mum and active education campaigner Becki Gilroy said: “Carmarthenshire County Council under the rule of Plaid Cymru are failing in their statutory duty to many children with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), highlighted by the independent report which they commissioned.

“We’re delighted Ysgol Heol Goffa will get a new school. Ideally it would have been for 250 pupils. It seems the 150 places the county council will provide is a short-term fix.

“Autistic children like my daughter Millie need specialist centres of excellence like Ysgol Heol Goffa.

‘Families need a more enlightened approach and not for their children to be placed in what can sometimes amount to not a lot more than a babysitting service.”

Labour county council opposition group leader, councillor Deryk Cundy, said: ” I fear the education system in Carmarthenshire is in something of a crisis and could, in future years, collapse unless there is a clear strategy going forward as most of our ASC provision schools are already full with many children on the waiting list and more undiagnosed in inappropriate mainstream education settings, putting undue pressures on both teachers and pupils alike.

‘The figure highlighted of 115 children with ASC, could be the tip of the iceberg. We simply don’t know.

‘”Schools are working incredibly hard to help children with ASC, but there needs to be a clear plan to sort it out.

“To ignore the situation would be incompetence by this Plaid Administration and is worrying in the extreme”.

Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith said: “Because Plaid Cymru dragged its heels on giving the green light for a new Ysgol Heol Goffa the county council now faces a race against time.

“When I last spoke to Lynne Neagle MS, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Education, a few weeks ago, she reassured me that money is still on the table, potentially some 75% of the cost, but said that Carmarthenshire County Council will need to complete the usual  three stage process of providing the necessary detail in order to be awarded the money,” she said.

With Senedd elections in May, and a possible outcome being some form of coalition government, there’s no guarantee that an incoming Welsh Government would be so generous with funding.

“The Council must work flat out not to jeopardise the money,” said Ms Griffith.

“I am also very concerned that the report commissioned by the council was scathing about the lack of suitable education provision for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC), and so we need much greater detail on the Council’s plans to increase this.

“We need to know how they intend to fund and staff the high-quality specialist provision these pupils need – both those who have received a diagnosis and those whose parents are still fighting to get a formal diagnosis – which shockingly can take some three years.

‘We know that the existing units have next to no spare capacity, so expanding provision is crucial.

“Families have had to put their lives on hold to care for their children because the proper provision is not there.

“”It is as if all the odds are stacked against these pupils and their families.

“There is a duty to stand up for them and ensure better outcomes than at present.”