A Lancashire mum whose young son has severe special needs has spoken of her frustration about not being able to get a place for him at a special school.

Laura Elsdon, 26, of Leyland, says her son Finley, aged four-and-a-half, was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) when he was two and that she spent the past two years trying to prepare the way to get him a place in a suitable school.

But although he is of an age where he should have started in September 2024, he is still without a school place - and now Laura’s hopes of him starting in September 2025 have also been dashed.

And this is despite the fact that a suitable school - Mayfield School - has accepted him and says he could start in September this year.

She says Lancashire County Council told her that it is not likely he will be able to go a special scholl this year afterall.

placeholder image — Laura Elsdon and son Finley | Submit

Laura says the delay is because of hold-ups by Lancashire County Council’s SEND department.

Her struggles come at a time when it was revealed that children and young people in Lancashire who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are facing “unacceptable” delays in getting the support they and their families require.

That is one of a series of damning conclusions reached by Ofsted inspectors who have warned urgent action is needed to improve the SEND services on offer in the Lancashire County Council area, which excludes Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.

Finley is non-verbal and sometimes has challenging behaviour and would not be able to attend a non-special school.

Currently he is spending several days a week in a nursery intead, but she says this is not ideal.

Laura Elsdon and her son Finley, who has complex special needs | Submit

Laura said: “I am one just one of the parents who are experiencing real issues with special school places in Lancashire at the moment. There are parents who are not receiving the care their children desperately need.

“ I applied for an EHC ( Education, Health and Care Plan) assessment when he was 2 years old and I am still battling with Lancashire Council for a plan to be finalised and for a special school place to be offered for him.

“My local authority has not adhered to their legal obligations and my son still has no school place.

“He should have started school in September 2024 and there is still no hope he will be in suitable provision this coming September.

“It means he will be pushed into a setting that is not right for him and cannot meet his needs.

“As a mother, this is my worst nightmare.I have reached out to my local MP’s and councillors but my voice is still not being heard.

“And I know I am not the only parent suffering from this process. It is having such an effect on both mine and my son’s mental health and there is so little support for SEND families.”

She added: “Parents have to advocate for their children when they have additional needs and to feel like your council/government don’t prioritise their needs or listen when they desperately need help is heartbreaking.

“The process is not explained thoroughly enough and it is taking too long for decisions to be made. My son’s education and care is being denied due to what I can only imagine, is lack of funding.”

Lancashire County Council says it has earmarked £5m in its budget for 2025/26 to help deal with rocketing demand for EHCPs. In September, the authority said it was in need of “considerably more” educational psychologists, but warned that the specialist professionals were thin on the ground.

What the County says about delays

Jacqui Old, the partnership board’s vice chair and executive director for education and children’s services at Lancashire County Council, added: “While we are bitterly disappointed with this outcome, we acknowledge and understand the inspectors’ findings and we know that, though our commitment to providing the right support at the right time for children and young people with SEND, we can make vital improvements.

“We accept that, despite our best efforts, children’s and young people’s needs are not met as quickly and effectively as they should be.

“We understand that these delays are a great source of frustration for families, and we know we must do better.

“Nationally, there is a huge increase in the number of children seeking SEND support along with a growing demand for education, health and care plans. The problems we are facing are not exclusive to Lancashire – these are issues being faced by local authorities across the country.

“I want to be clear that the issues highlighted in the report are systemic and are in no way a reflection of our staff, who are dedicated to improving outcomes for all children, including those with SEND. I would like to thank staff for their continued hard work and dedication to improving the lives of children and young people in Lancashire.