00:00No ifs, no buts, no S-E-N cuts. No ifs, no buts, no S-E-N cuts.
00:07Nearly four months ago the National Education Union were here outside KCC protesting
00:12and today they're here again, still feeling cut off from the children that need them the most,
00:17isolated and as of this morning, complete radio silence from KCC.
00:22The dispute between the National Education Union and Kent County Council began last September
00:28after staff said they were not properly consulted when their roles were brought back under council control.
00:34This is day seven of strike action and we have been desperately trying to engage with KCC
00:40about the issues with this specialist teaching and learning service.
00:43We've tried to get ACAST to help mediate. KCC just won't engage with us.
00:48They don't want to listen to their employees, they don't want to listen to this staff body here
00:53and so we have no option but to continue taking strike action
00:57and this is a vital day. KCC have their annual general meeting today
01:01and so we're talking to all of the councillors as they enter the building today
01:05to urge them to listen to their employees.
01:07Under the NEU, skilled teachers and specialists across Kent
01:11support children with special educational needs and disabilities.
01:16However, after nearly eight months, staff say they're still unhappy with the transition
01:20and want things returned to how they were before, with an estimated 9,000 children across Kent affected.
01:27The schools want the service that they had before, they want the bespoke training that they had before,
01:33they want the early identification and the support that they had before and that is being denied.
01:40And the reason it's being denied is because they don't believe that SEN actually exists.
01:47Sadly, as a service, we are deteriorating. People are leaving.
01:51People are despondent and they're fed up with the way that we're being treated and ignored.
01:57I reached out to Kent County Council for a response but have not yet received a reply.
02:03During a protest four months ago, they issued the following statement,
02:06saying the claims made against them were simply incorrect
02:09and were disappointed in the NEU's decision to use social media to misrepresent the situation.
02:15Although the turnout today was small, it doesn't reflect the broader support for the NEU.
02:20The group was few in numbers but strong in determination and focused on driving change.
02:27Maisie Walker for KMTV, Maitstone.
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