Opinion: SEND

This parliament is our best hope of SEND reform in a generation

The government is determined to fix our ‘lose, lose, lose’ SEND system – and this parliament has the knowledge and will to support them in their ambition

The government is determined to fix our ‘lose, lose, lose’ SEND system – and this parliament has the knowledge and will to support them in their ambition

28 Sep 2024, 5:00

Getting the support a child needs to thrive in school shouldn’t be a fight. For too many people like my constitutents Claire and her son Jake, it is. I’ve played a small part in helping them over the years, and seen the toll of this burden on their family. Thankfully, I believe we have a parliament with the will and expertise to put it right..

For me, there is no bigger issue facing education than the special educational needs (SEND) crisis. As a father and a former teacher and council leader, I’m more than familiar with the issues and their urgency.

I’ve met and supported many families like Claire and Jake over the years, but since becoming the new MP for St Helens North in July the amount of correspondence I’ve received on the subject has shocked even me.

My first question in the chamber in July was to ask the new speaker of the house for parliamentary time to be given over to the SEND crisis. As a result, I was inundated with messages from families desperate to see us fix the system.

And it is clear to everyone that it desperately needs fixing. A report published in July by the LGA and the County Councils Network (CCN) said SEND services were overwhelmed and dysfunctional. The local government ombudsman describes the system as being in “utter disarray”.

Meanwhile, 75,000 children are waiting for speech and language therapy support, one-third of parents have had to use the legal system to get their children the right provision and 98 per cent of tribunals go the family’s way.

One issue that is continually raised with me is the provision of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Many local councils fall appallingly short of their legal duties in this process.

For those who don’t qualify for an EHCP, the situation is just as dire. In St Helens, around three-quarters of children with SEND don’t. That means they don’t qualify for extra funding or support and have to rely on over-worked and under-resourced teachers to make appropriate adjustments for them and their needs.

Cuts now cause more problems later

On a positive note, greater awareness of families’ rights to support is one of the contributing factors to the significant rise in the number of EHCPs.

Tragically, 14 years of austerity have left public services unable to meet need. Unsurprisingly, over the past decade, funding for early intervention has fallen by 44 per cent while spending on late interventions has risen by 57 per cent.

Cuts now cause more problems later. We would be fools not to learn that lesson.

In St Helens North, I speak to many teachers and school leaders who tell me that they can’t afford the staff and resources they need. As a result, they spend less time on education, safety and the happiness of their pupils and more on bean counting and fighting for and with their families.

But things are changing. A curriculum review has the potential to help drive inclusion. The removal of overall one-word judgments from Ofsted too. The possibility of an inclusion metric in a rebalances accountability system could also have a huge impact.

There is much, much more to do. But I am confident that we now have a government with the genuine will to put the system right and, crucially, a parliament with the people and the knowledge to ensure they do.

As well as dedicating my first parliamentary question to the subject, I’ve heard ministers and backbench MPs alike talking with passion and determination about it.

SEND has been talked about in the House of Commons and in packed Westminster Hall debates and I’ve heard colleagues begin to offer solutions and ideas to improve things.

I know you will – rightly – judge us on results.

I also know you’ll want to support us to put our best foot forward in the effort.

I look forward to doing all I can to ensure Claire and Jake – and all the teachers and school leaders who help Claires and Jakes all over the country every day – are heard in the process.

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