Parents of Sunderland deaf and autistic boy launch petition after claiming families are 'left in limbo' over school places

The parents of Joseph Gibson, who has health and learning challenges, have set up a petition calling for better provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), saying they still feel "left in limbo" after failing to to find a suitable secondary school place.

Joseph was born at just 24 weeks and three days which resulted in damage to his white matter - the deeper tissues of his brain. 

He battled through seven operations but has been left deaf, at risk of seizures and also has an abnormal pain threshold which means he isn’t always aware if he has an injury. He also had an operation on his vocal cords which makes it more difficult for Joseph to communicate.

Joseph has also been diagnosed with autism and learning difficulties which means he's around three years behind where a child of his age would be expected to be.

Hi parents Gemma and Paul have spent the last two years trying to secure a place at a secondary school which "caters for all his needs".

With Joseph due to make the transition in September, his parents are becoming increasingly "angry and frustrated" at still not securing an appropriate place.

Gemma, 39, said: "I know families with children who don't have SEND and they all seem to have had their places allocated.

"After the stories were published in the Echo I got lots of messages from parents on social media with children in a similar position to Joseph, with complex needs, and we all feel left in limbo."

Speaking previously to the Echo, Paul said he would home school Joseph if a suitable place is not found, citing that he has been judged as “not disabled enough to go to a special school but unable to cope in a mainstream secondary school".

Gemma added: "It seems that Sandhill View Academy can support Joseph with his hearing loss but not so much his autism, while Farringdon Community Academy can cater for his autism but not his hearing loss.

"We can't find a school to cater for all his needs, it seems to be one or the other."

Gemma and Paul fear Joseph will "get left behind" if he goes into a mainstream secondary school and say he needs to attend a school which has a SEND unit, such as the one at Washington Academy.

However, in order to secure a place, Joseph's Educational Healthcare Plan (EHCP) needs to be amended to ensure he is eligible.

Paul said: "His EHCP focuses solely on his hearing impairment. There is no mention of Joseph's autism or learning disabilities, despite the Local Authority having the reports of theses diagnoses."

After publication of the Echo article, Gemma and Paul decided to launch the petition after getting messages from other parents "in the same boat".

Gemma said: "We decided to launch the petition after getting messages from parents of children with complex needs who can't find schools to cater for all their needs.

"The plan is to take the petition to Sunderland City Council as well as local MPs to get additional funding and get these provisions in place."

Gemma and Paul's petition statement states: "As parent's with a child who has special educational needs, we've struggled to find a school which can cater for his needs. Our son has learning difficulties, autism and hearing loss.

"Mainstream schools are lacking in provisions to help SEND children. The Government needs to put more funding into these schools, so they can get the right provisions in place to help these children get the support they need."

Responding to the petition, a Sunderland City Council and Together for Children spokesperson said: "While not appropriate to discuss individual students, places for pupils with special educational needs are allocated according to needs identified in an Education Health Care Plan.

"This is always shared with parents and proposed settings in its draft form for feedback and comment.

"Once finalised, parents and carers are fully advised of their options in terms of mediation and appeal.

"We would always encourage parents to discuss concerns with their caseworker throughout this process."