Three Suffolk County Council cabinet members have resigned, while a councillor has been removed from the Tory group in the wake of the SEND saga,

It has also been announced today that further changes to the senior leadership team providing of services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

The three senior councillors, all members of the Conservative administration - Rachel Hood, James Reeder and Chris Chambers - resigned from their posts as cabinet and deputy cabinet members. It follows the departure of the county council's executive director of people services and director of children and young people late last year. 

Councillor Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council's leader, said: "I would like to thank Rachel, James and Chris for their personal commitment and hard work over the past two and half years. They have shown huge dedication to improving SEND services.  

"I would like to wish them well in their future work and reiterate Suffolk County Council's absolute commitment to ensuring more young people and their families receive the support they need and deserve." 

Following an inspection by OFSTED and the Care Quality Commission, published on 30 January, the council and health partners are also setting up a new SEND Accountability Board with an independent chair – charged with helping to deliver faster improvements to SEND provision in Suffolk. 

Meanwhile Ipswich-based councillor Sam Murray revealed on social media she had been she had been suspended by the Conservative group.

Cllr Murray, a mother of a child who has special needs provision, was told of the suspension by email following her call for resignations among the leadership. 'Disgusted councillor' - full story here...

Cllr and mum Sam Murray

Resigning from their posts in a letter to the leader of the council, the councillors said: "Over the course of this week, it has become apparent that our positions have become a distraction from the vital work of this council in improving outcomes for children and families within the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service in Suffolk—work which we have focussed on since our appointments 2 ½ years ago in 2021. 

"The recent Ofsted report is extraordinarily disappointing, despite Ofsted and the DfE's recognition of improvements in the service and we are determined that the Council will go further and faster in providing SEND children and their families with the outcomes, and positive experience, they need and deserve. 

"We remain clear that under our leadership the service has been successfully restructured, all the reforms spelt out in the Independent Report have been accomplished and significant improvements have been made. Amongst other significant matters, staff senior leadership team is being refreshed; over £60 million pounds has been invested in funding well over 1200 new SEND places; our proposed 2024/25 budget includes £4.4 million of additional investment in SEND services; and additional Educational Psychologists have been recruited and are being trained. 

"We are proud of the work we have done over the last two and a half years, particularly during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, to reform, restructure and improve many aspects of Children's Services, particularly in the face of dramatic increases in demand. We are clear that we have put the directorate on a firm footing to continue to achieve the changes we all want to see and which are already happening. 

"It has been a pleasure to serve in your administration and we now believe that to ensure the focus is where we all wish it to be – on improving the lives of children and families in Suffolk, collectively, we wish to step aside to avoid further distractions and so are tendering our resignations from our respective appointed roles. We are most grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the children and residents of Suffolk on behalf of the County Council." 

Beleagured SCC leader Matthew Hicks

A restructure of senior officer leadership in children's services is already underway, with the imminent recruitment of a new executive director of children and young people services.  

Suffolk council's chief executive, Nicola Beach, said: "Given the known challenges facing our children and young people (CYP) services, both in Suffolk and nationally, I am taking this opportunity to restructure the senior leadership within the service so that we can best meet those challenges.  

"It is time for a new leadership structure in CYP and, therefore, two roles have been removed and will be replaced with a new senior management structure." 

Chief exec Nicola Beech