TEACHER Janet Daley this week warned she would not be silenced by education chiefs over her concern for the plight of West Somerset's special needs youngsters following a decision to close local units dedicated to their needs. Somerset County Council's executive board has controversially decided that resources bases at Minehead First and Minehead Middle schools, at the West Somerset Community College, Kingsmead Community School in Wiveliscombe and two others in Taunton and Wellington will be axed by April 2008. But Mrs Daley, who has run the Minehead First unit for the past four years and has received widespread acclaim for its achievements, described the move as short-sighted and wrong. She said she wanted to speak out about the appalling way some of the most vulnerable young children with special needs in the West Somerset area were being treated. And she disputed the education authority's claim that "full" consultation had been carried out ahead of the decision. "The people making these decisions have not been to visit us or made any attempt to see the children we are dealing with," said Mrs Daley. "I can assure you that actual children are very different from reports written about them on pieces of paper. "No-one has asked the opinion of the visiting psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational or physiotherapists who visit us regularly whether the decision to withdraw funding was appropriate." Mrs Daley said she cared passionately about the children affected and would not be silenced by the authority when it was putting those most needy children at risk. "The people making decisions to withdraw funding do not understand the way we work and have not bothered to find out. "They are happy to withdraw funding because it looks good on paper and will save them money." Mrs Daley, who has been in the teaching profession for 26 years - 15 of which have been spent working with special needs youngsters - said the unit at Minehead First catered for children with complex needs and had been praised by parents and the authority for its good work. She said everyone was entitled to an education and she believed it should be available in their local area. The way the unit worked and was funded was complicated but staff were careful to include all children and educate them in an appropriate way according to their needs. "Those who work closely with these children know what they are talking about and I know that given the resources I can make a difference to their lives," said Mrs Daley. The Free Press exclusively revealed the threat to the special needs units last May and highlighted the particular fears of Porlock mother Anne Osterlind, whose eight-year-old son Joakim has autism and will be affected by the closures. Over the last couple of weeks as decision day loomed we have continued to publicise Mrs Osterlind's concerns, and those of other local parents and teachers who have actively opposed any move to axe the units and who last week handed in a 300-signature petition to the executive board. Following the decision, Mrs Osterlind and Minehead First headteacher Brenda Coupe spoke of their despair and their worries over future provision. But Cllr Gloria Cawood, the county's portfolio holder for education, said in a statement that the closure of the units would mean that children with special educational needs across the whole of Somerset would receive funding in the same way, irrespective of where they lived. That funding would be allocated on the basis of individual evidence and audited need. Cllr Cawood insisted that there had been full consultation with the six schools and their parents and governors last year. "The children currently in the resource bases will be safeguarded through the phased closure arrangements," said Cllr Cawood. "Additional consultation has taken place with the Somerset Schools Forum where changes in funding proposals are considered on behalf of all schools. "The forum supported closure." In recognition of West Somerset's relative geographical isolation, the authority has drawn up proposals to base an experienced and suitably qualified support team in the district - one full time teacher and two teaching assistants. However, this will still mean special needs youngsters being taught in mainstream classes, a move opposed by many parents who feel their children will be unable to cope. Cllr Cawood said this was to ensure that pupils with severe and complex levels of educational need did not have to travel out of the area to receive specialist schooling. However, Cllr Christine Lawrence, who represents the Dunster division, insisted that the difficulties arising from West Somerset's distance from the county's main centres had not been fully taken into account. Cllr Lawrence, who pressed the executive board to allow the units to continue, said she was concerned about future provision for a very vulnerable group of children. "I am particularly worried that if for any reason the changes being made now do not work in West Somerset, it will be virtually impossible to get back the calibre of staff currently working in the units. "The work carried out by these units is exemplary and has been highly praised. "I appreciate that costs are a key issue but West Somerset is a rural community and what works elsewhere may not work here."