A charity representing SEND children’s families, whose funding was pulled after Bristol City Council controversially withdrew its backing, has had the money restored in a major U-turn. Bristol Parent Carers (BPC) lost its annual £17,500 grant from the Department for Education (DfE) and status as the local authority’s official forum partner at the height of last year’s SEND parents’ 'spying' scandal.
But the two organisations have made amends, each issuing a press release to signify a new era of cooperation. Last summer it emerged that the council had taken steps to block the funding for the special needs charity just days after it was revealed City Hall staff were monitoring the social media posts and photos of some parents of disabled children, who had criticised SEND provision in Bristol.
The authority said the surveillance took place following a request from BPC, a claim the charity denied, and insisted that its withdrawal of support for the forum’s government funding was unrelated. At the time SEND campaigner and Lib Dem Cllr Tim Kent slammed it as “truly disgusting behaviour” that would leave the parents of disabled children to “suffer the council’s vindictive wrath”.
