NEWPORT City Council’s claim that their decision to defer from a Gwent-wide children’s disability unit was one of three options they were considering contradicts their original budget proposal.

Last week, Newport council announced a U-turn on their controversial decision to leave the Sensory and Communication Support Unit (SenCom) – funded by all five Gwent councils.

The decision would have saved them £250,000 , and they promised they could provide an “equivalent” service.

A total of 10 staff from SenCom had accepted voluntary redundancy as a direct result of the city council’s decision to stop funding the organisation.

Their redundancy costs would have been paid by the council, with the amount understood to be close to half a million pounds.

But on Thursday 14, after months of criticism from parents, family and Assembly Members, the council deferred their decision until March 2020.

READ MORE: Worries remain amid joy of Newport City Council 'deferring' SenCom decision

Funded by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), who get their funding from the Welsh Government, the council will use the time to find a more “sustainable model” of regional working.

Leader of Newport council Debbie Wilcox also serves as leader of the WLGA.

A spokesman for the WLGA said there was no conflict of interest despite Cllr Wilcox holding both positions – as the funding would be split between all five local authorities in Gwent.

In a letter sent to the council leaders of Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent – who all pay into the Sensory and Communication Support Unit along with Newport – Cllr Wilcox wrote that remaining was one of three options considered.

The letter reads: “You will therefore be aware of the discussions about the SenCoM service within my authority and that we have been considering three options:

1) Maintain the current position;

2) Withdraw from the Gwent wide service and set up a Newport only provision;

3) Work with partners to secure an alternative regional model.”

But in the council’s budget proposal, published in December last year, only two options appear.

Under the heading of ‘Options considered’, the first reads: “Not to withdraw from the SenCom regional partnership and to continue to pay £651,025 a year.”

The only other option listed is: “To withdraw from the SenCom regional partnership and develop a local service to meet the needs of children and young people. This presents budget savings of £250,000 a year.”

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Repeated attempts to clarify when and why the decision to defer withdrawing from SenCom for a year was taken with the council have been unsuccessful.

It’s understood by the South Wales Argus that the first time the other four Gwent local authorities learned that the council was considering remaining was when they received their letter from Cllr Wilcox on Thursday last week.

It’s also understood that there may be a reluctance on the part of the other four local authorities to commit to significantly changing a system they are happy with.

The spokesman for the WLGA added: “The funding will be provided to the Gwent local authorities, from Welsh Government through WLGA, in line with WLGA and Welsh Government’s stated commitment to support regional collaboration across Wales.

“Discussions are ongoing to finalise the support package which will be used to undertake a review on the provision of SenCom in the Gwent region.

“Further discussions are ongoing to explore how wider support might be provided to further progress collaboration across Wales in due course.”