FAMILIES of children with special educational needs (SEND) know the current system is under real strain. In my surgeries and across the constituency, I regularly meet parents who are fighting hard to secure the right support for their children. Their concerns are genuine, and they deserve a system that works with them, not against them.
It is right that the Government is now discussing reform, and a renewed emphasis on early intervention is welcome. Getting support in place at the earliest possible stage can prevent problems escalating and help more children thrive in their local school. I have long campaigned for greater investment in speech and language therapy, and while additional funding has been referenced, it must be substantial and sustained if it is to make a meaningful difference on the ground.
However, much of what has been announced so far raises more questions than answers. Ministers speak frequently about “inclusion”, but inclusion cannot be delivered through a one-size-fits-all model. SEND provision is complex and deeply individual. The system must be flexible enough to respond to a wide range of needs. The Government has floated tiered levels of support yet has provided little detail on how children will qualify, how decisions will be reviewed, or how consistency will be ensured across the country.
Inclusion also requires more than warm words. Without properly trained staff, access to specialist professionals and clear expectations for schools, simply directing more children into mainstream settings risks setting them up to struggle. Parents need clarity about how these reforms will work in practice, and that clarity has not yet been provided.
Many families remain particularly concerned about the future of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). Briefings over the past year created understandable anxiety, and ministers have still not set out definitively how existing EHCPs will be protected or how children will qualify for them in future. Proposals for new Individual Support Plans within schools raise further questions: who will receive them, what support they will guarantee, and how they will be funded.
Funding is the central test of credibility. The Office for Budget Responsibility has identified a £6billion shortfall in SEND finances. Unless the Government brings forward a clear and credible plan to close this gap, reforms risk faltering before they are fully implemented. Schools and families need reassurance that funding will be adequate, timely and transparent.
Workforce capacity is another crucial issue. Any reform dependent on more Special Education Needs Co-ordinators SENCOs, therapists and specialist staff must be matched with realistic plans for recruitment, training and retention.
My position is clear: reform must put children and families at its heart. I will engage constructively, but I will continue pressing for certainty on EHCP protections, a serious plan to address the funding gap, and reforms that genuinely strengthen early support and deliver better outcomes for every child.
