Call for investment in MSI teachers following ‘critical shortage’ across councils

Over 50% of councils do not have any specialist multi-sensory impairment (MSI) teachers employed to support deafblind children.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent by the national disability charity, Sense, have revealed that the number of councils employing specialist MSI teachers has decreased in the last five years, despite the number of children in need of support having risen by over one fifth in this time.

According to the research, the deficit disproportionately affects the North of England and London, with disabled children in these areas being more likely to lose out on specialist support.

While there are roughly 32 deafblind children in each of the country’s 152 council areas, 65% of local authorities in the North West lack an MSI teacher, with 63% and 60% facing a shortage in Greater London and the North East, respectively.

With 54% of councils employing no MSI teachers, Sense has called on the Government to invest in specialist roles like MSI teachers alongside the implementation of a long-term workforce strategy to support the success of its SEND reforms.

James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive of Sense, said: ‘Without access to MSI teachers, or with only limited support from overstretched schools and teachers, deafblind children are being denied their basic right to learn and get the best start in life. Too many are falling through the cracks.’

He said that the ‘critical shortage’ of specialist staff is part of the broader failure of a broken SEND system, which requires ‘urgent action’ to ensure disabled children with complex needs are not left behind.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: ‘Our once-in-a-generation SEND reforms are transforming the system so that every child receives the right support, in their local school, at the earliest possible stage.

‘We’re investing £1.8bn to widen access to advice, guidance and support from specialists in every community up and down the country – enabling specialists to work directly with schools to provide needs-led support that reaches children faster and earlier.’