A former senior civil servant has become an adviser to a consultancy that delivered a controversial government contract that aimed to cut new education, health and care plans by 20 per cent.
Indra Morris, who spent six years at the DfE and most recently worked as director general for families between 2022 and 2023, has joined Newton Europe 16 months after leaving her government post.
Newton Europe worked with the government on its Delivering Better Value for SEND programme in 2022, which sought to support 55 councils in bringing down their large SEND deficit budgets.
But the £19.5 million contract was revealed to target a 20 per cent reduction in the number of new EHCPs. The government repeatedly denied it had any such target.
Morris sought advice for her Newton appointment with the government’s advisory committee on business appointments.
She told the panel her role would include helping the company to develop its service offering, positioning and marketing in central government, and to develop staff skills and capabilities. It would not involve lobbying or direct sales.
The committee said Newton’s potential clients were unknown, meaning there was “a risk of possible unfair advantage, or a perception of one”, and there were further risks given Morris’s “influence and network of contacts in central government”.
The role should be subject to a two-year ban on lobbying the government, helping with potential contracts or any policy relating to previous work at the DfE.
The DfE has since confirmed Morris had no involvement with any contract with Newton when she was at the department.
‘Better outcomes for families’
Morris told Schools Week: “I’m passionate about using my time to make a meaningful impact, and Newton’s focus on evidence, data and delivery aligns perfectly with how I like to work.
“My experience in children’s social care, justice, welfare, public sector reform and consultancy position me well to help create better outcomes for families.”
Newton is not the only consultancy to have secured a lucrative government contract to help reform the SEND system.
PA Consulting was awarded £7.6 million to oversee a pilot of the last government’s proposed changes. In 2023, Schools Week was gagged from revealing the day rates paid to its consultants.
A spokesperson for advocacy group Special Needs Jungle said: “Politicians like to say SEND is ‘lose, lose, lose’, but that’s never really been true. Families, meanwhile, are still waiting for the system to work in a way that benefits children.”
Unless something is done about this SEN stuff, then they will become the MAJORITY in the classroom. What happens then?
Is the country going to become filled with people shouting: `let`s slit all their throats` ( ADHD and AUTISM were given as REASONS for the vile, evil remarks )
If people are MENTALLY SICK and POTENTIALLY dangerous, then LOCK THEM UP. Teaches are there to TEACH, NOT to try to control out-of-control potentially violent children.
And WHO is to blame for the increasing numbers of these SEN / DDV ( Disruptive, Dangerous, Violent ) children?
Well WHO is bringing them into the world, in ever-increasing numbers?
Try researching the CAUSE, rather than the EFFECT.
If the parents cannot control their own children, then they have no right to blame OTHERS for their own failings.
In today’s `nanny state`, NO-ONE takes responsibility for their actions. Well it is about bloody time that they were made to do so.