Falkirk Council 'failing' school children over plans to close enhanced provision units

Families across Falkirk warn plans to close Enhanced Provision Units for children with additional support needs will endanger vulnerable pupils.

Falkirk Council is currently consulting on plans that could affect 15 specialist facilities across the region – which parents have branded “terrifying” and “short-sighted”.

The council says an increasing number of children with complex needs are unable to secure a place in the support units. To meet the broader demand, the council plans to redistribute £3.1m in funding across mainstream primary schools to help meet the needs of more children.

Karen-Jane and Moonaf Hassan have a six-year-old son Gabriel who attends one of the units at Carronshore Primary School.

Gabriel was diagnosed with autism at age four after a two-year wait. His parents noticed early on that he struggled with language milestones and became overwhelmed by the noise and bustle of nursery life.

Karen-Jane told STV News: “Nursery was over-stimulating – the noise, the smells. He had significant meltdowns and just wasn’t progressing.

“With support from speech and language therapists, and eventually his autism diagnosis, we started to look seriously at Enhanced Provision.”

Moonaf added: “The environment was overpowering for him – over 100 kids. It was a big struggle to get him into nursery and sit him there with everyone, just to get him settled down.”

‘He’s a different little boy now’

After taking professional advice, the Hassans delayed Gabriel’s school start by a year. They spent that time gathering reports from occupational therapists, educational psychologists, and speech and language specialists to build a case for an Enhanced Provision place.

Following an initial rejection, Gabriel was accepted for a place at the Enhanced Provision Unit at Carronshore Primary School.

Karen-Jane said: “It was torturous – we spent two years in meetings just to get him a seat the table, to learn to read and write. It was a bittersweet moment when we got the letter.”

Moonaf added: “We put in so much work, so many experts to support our claims. If we hadn’t done that and took a full year to do it, we couldn’t have got a place. It’s only because of that; they are like gold dust.”

The parents say Gabriel has come on very far from where he was in nursery in 2023.

“He couldn’t even say half or a quarter of the words he is saying just now,” Moonaf said. “The leaps and bounds that school has made in getting him to engage and progress is amazing.”

“He goes into school happy, he comes back from school happy. He’s a different little boy from what we’ve seen in nursery,” Karen-Jane added. “He’s come out of his shell and he’s forming friendships. It’s a nurturing environment for someone like Gabriel.”

Two years ago, the Hassans joined other parents in pushing back against early plans to scale back Enhanced Provision. They say they are now fighting the same battle again.

The couple claim families were not properly informed of the consultation, with Karen-Jane only finding out about it “online.”

Karen-Jane says they have 'hope' for Gabriel's future due to progress he has made with specialist support — Karen-Jane says they have ‘hope’ for Gabriel’s future due to progress he has made with specialist support STV News

“We weren’t directly informed – no physical letter.

“The consultation has clear ramifications for our families. If the people you’re consulting with aren’t informed, you can’t have an open conversation.”

Karen-Jane added: “Now we’re back here and fighting for a third time.

“They’ve had two years to prepare, and the proposals they’ve put on the table are ridiculous in comparison to what we should expect.

“It’s terrifying we don’t have anything substantive. It paints a lovely image of inclusion but there’s no detail of how they’re going to do it. No evidence, logic, data – nothing tangible to understand the practical terms. What does it look like for Gabriel, what kind of service are the children going to get?”

The couple say Gabriel’s current setting already allows him to mix with mainstream pupils – taking part in classes such as PE and joining other children at lunchtime – without losing the targeted support he needs.

“This model works – it strikes the right balance,” Karen-Jane said. “It does feel like a compulsive and obsession with mainstream – for children to be within their local community.

“It’s a nice idea, but For Gabriel, his community is other children with similar struggles and needs that he can identify with, that he can build friendships with.

“If Gabriel is returned to mainstream, and he’s that neglected, disruptive child, that’s sent into the corridor because they can’t be trusted in the classroom. That’s a failing on him and other children.”

Gabriel, six, has 'come out of his shell' — Gabriel, six, has ‘come out of his shell’ STV News

‘For the first time in a long time we had hope’

Reflecting on Gabriel’s progress, the Hassans say the last two years have given them a sense of hope for their son’s future – a hope they fear could now be undone.

“We’ve seen the progress he’s made in the last two years. We have had sleepless nights, ‘How will I look after him after we die?’ Who’s going to care for him? That’s the real struggle we were having.

“But he’s turned a corner. For the first time in a long time, we have hope.”

Moonaf added: “This consultation is going to jeopardise all of this. If this proposal goes ahead we’ll see him regressing. It will be a detriment to those children. It’s short-sighted.

“If you don’t give the tools and support they need they won’t get there. They are failing children at this moment in time.”

‘This could be catastrophic’

Rob Holland, director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, say they are “really concerned” due to an increase in demand coupled with the decrease in specialist teachers and staff.

“Many teachers are often doing a really good job but are operating in really large class sizes, often in environments that don’t work for autistic learners.

“In order to thrive in mainstream settings, autistic children and young people need that specialist support within schools to make that happen. If it’s not there, the results can be catastrophic. They end up missing out on education, not getting the qualifications they need, and in some cases, even being excluded through no fault of their own, because their behaviour may be deemed as difficult or challenging.

“We would urge Falkirk to think again.”

Rob Holland says plans could be 'catastrophic' — Rob Holland says plans could be ‘catastrophic’ STV News

A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “Any child who currently attends a provision will not be required to move from their current placement. At the core of the proposals is a commitment to ensuring every Falkirk child who requires it, receives the right support, in the right place, at the right time, across all of our schools and communities.

“Parents/Carers have been engaged with directly about the process in a variety of ways, both centrally and via schools, and further details have been shared through public meetings and regularly updated FAQs.

“No decisions have been made, and all feedback will be carefully considered once the consultation has concluded.

“A 30-day statutory consultation on Falkirk Council’s enhanced provision services went live on Friday 29 August and, to allow additional time for school holidays, will remain open until midnight on Monday 27 October. We continue to encourage engagement from all stakeholders, as we want the final approach to reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities.”

The consultation closes on Monday October 27.