First unit for pupils with complex autism and emotional needs to be established at former primary school site in Monmouthshire

A NEW unit for pupils with complex autism and emotional needs linked to mental health will be established at a former primary school building. 
The unit will be the first of its kind in Monmouthshire and is intended to provide local education for primary aged children who aren’t able to attend mainstream schools or the specialist resource bases for those with additional learning needs housed within them. 
The council has reported increases in primary pupils being suspended from school, and at risk of permanent exclusion, in the past five years and concerns over behaviour and safety from headteachers. 
The county council’s Labour/Green Party cabinet agreed to set up the new specialist resource base for pupils with complex autism and social, emotional and mental health needs at the former Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni site from this September. 
Ysgol y Fenni is due to move to a larger building in Abergavenny under plans previously approved by the cabinet. 
Councillors were told establishing the unit will also reduce reliance on costly out-of-county placements and having to put in place “bespoke plans” for individual children. 
Laura Wright, the Labour cabinet member for education, said it is intended to use the site for a five year trial period “to properly assess how the provision works, the outcomes delivered and whether it is the right long term solution.” 
She said around one quarter of the council’s individual pupil development plans relate to social, emotional and mental health needs with an increasing number of primary age pupils impacted. 
A report for the cabinet stated: “Monmouthshire has seen a continued rise in levels of behaviour of distress linked to trauma and neurodivergence within both mainstream and specialist provisions.  
“Concerningly there have been significant increases in primary exclusions and pupils at risk of permanent exclusion that require additional support, either from their school or from services provided from the wider education directorate. 
“In discussions with headteachers it has become apparent that there are growing safeguarding and risk management concerns in mainstream settings.” 
At the cabinet meeting Cllr Wright acknowledged the stand alone site would “look different” to the councils other resource bases, as it wouldn’t be part of a mainstream school, but denied it was a “change of direction”. 
Conservative opposition leader Richard John asked what alternative sites had been considered and why the cabinet considered use of the Y Fenni site to be “best value for taxpayers” and what the expected annual savings are. 
Cllr Wright said the council already owns the building and is in control of how it is used but said it could still be disposed of, as previously agreed, if necessary at the end of the five year period. She also said the unit could save around £650,000 a year on current costs.  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​