Summary

Today, we have written to the Department for Education as part of a group of 30+ organisations who work with and support children with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families, to call for future SEND reform to be underpinned by six principles.

SEND reform should follow six principles, says leading disability organisations in joint open letter to the DfE

AFK is a proud member of the Disabled Children’s Partnership – a growing coalition of more than 60 organisations campaigning for improved health and social care for disabled children, young people and their families in England.

We believe, based on our engagement with parents and carers, professionals, and organisations in the sector that reform must:

Be co-designed with children and families
Strengthen compliance with the law
Ensure parental choice is retained
Make post-16 support a priority
Not squeeze children’s needs into funding bands
Address existing gaps in the Green Paper

The Government’s consultation on its recent SEND Green Paper closed in July. Now the Department for Education will deliberate on the feedback it received and is expected to respond by the end of the year, with new regulations likely to follow shortly after.

While the government’s SEND reforms were originally introduced to ‘improve an inconsistent, process-heavy and increasingly adversarial system’, we are concerned that the proposals in the Green Paper as they stand do not address the accountability gap and could worsen delays and access to support across the country.

Research conducted by the Together Trust earlier this year suggests that 9 in 10 parents and carers currently require specialist help to understand what support their child is entitled to.

One parent, Samantha, said that “there are so many obstacles to getting your child the right help, every decision is appealed before the support which is so desperately needed is finally given”.

We at AFK see these barriers affecting our beneficiaries on a daily basis. The need for reform is urgent and long over-due.

Lucy Croxton, the Together Trust’s Campaigns Manager, said “the current system is underperforming for children and their families, but the current SEND proposals miss the mark. This joint letter demonstrates the will of organisations who support children with SEND to get reform right without cutting corners.”

Signatories to the letter

Mark Lee, Together Trust, Chief Executive

Stephen Kingdom, Disabled Children’s Partnership, Campaign Manager

Parmi Dheensa, Include Me TOO, Executive Director

Kate Steele, SHINE (Spina bifida • Hydrocephalus • Information • Networking • Equality), Chief Executive

Sally Polanski, Amaze, CEO

Sue Millman, Ataxia UK, CEO

David Coe, AFK, CEO

Caroline Stevens, National Autistic Society, CEO

Michael McGrath, Muscle Help Foundation, Founder & CEO

Louise Griew, Roald Dahl Marvellous Children’s Charity, CEO

Kathy Evans, Children England, CEO

Jane Harris, I CAN, Chief Executive

Sarah Pugh, Whizz-Kidz, Chief Executive Officer

Claire Bryant, Cherry Trees, CEO

Tom Madders, YoungMinds, Campaigns Director

Rita Waters, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), Group Chief Executive (England and Wales)

Zillah Bingley, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity , Chief Executive

Dr Rhidian Hughes, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, Chief Executive

Gill Gibb, Tree of Hope, CEO

Helen Hewitt, Chailey Heritage Foundation, Chief Executive

Assunta Soldovieri, Sebastian’s Action Trust, Head of Family Services

Katie Ghose, KIDS, Chief Executive

Dr Beth Bodycote, Not Fine in School, Director

Tania Tirraoro, Renata Blower, Special Needs Jungle Ltd, Co-Directors

Mike Hobday, National Deaf Children’s Society, Executive Director Policy and Campaigns

Ali Gunn, United Response, Public Affairs and Policy Lead

Megan Jarvie, Coram Family and Childcare, Head of Coram Family and Childcare

Kevin Williams, The Fostering Network, Chief Executive

Andy Fletcher, Together for Short Lives, Chief Executive

James Taylor, Scope, Director of Strategy, Impact and Social Change

Carolyne Willow, Article 39, Director

Because without awareness and understanding, we cannot achieve real change.

But, with increased awareness and public support we can make a real difference.

Summary

SEND reform should follow six principles, says leading disability organisations in joint open letter to the DfE

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