Kate Osborne MP: SEND System forcing families to battle for the support their children are entitled to receive

It is our daily life, it shapes whether children feel safe, supported and are able to receive the education they need to thrive, and it has a significant impact on parents and the wider community too.

Our constituency has five per cent more children with SEND than the national average, it is not only one of the issues most frequently raised with me by constituents, but each story is heartbreaking.

Too often the experience is one of stress, anxiety and frustration with a system that forces families to battle for the support their children are entitled to receive. That forces people to pay for private assessments, or paying thousands of pounds in tribunal fees to force through support for our kids.

No one should be under any illusion that the SEND system is broken and needs urgent reform – yet of course any change is incredibly scary – and I understand and share many people’s concerns about the suggested reforms.

Over recent weeks, I have held both online and in-person consultation events with families in the constituency, and held meetings in Parliament with guest speakers from Rory Bremner to Nick Ferrari, alongside hundreds of parents all discussing the Government’s proposals for SEND reform. I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences so openly. The message I heard was clear – families agree the current system urgently needs reform, but there is also deep concern that any changes must strengthen support and protections, not weaken them.

Many parents told me they had effectively been forced to become legal experts simply to secure basic support for their children, while others spoke of years spent waiting for assessments, therapies or specialist placements.

Concerns were raised around the future of Education, Health and Care Plans, or EHCPs. Families are understandably worried that reforms could reduce access to EHCPs, weaken legal protections or make it harder for parents to challenge decisions through tribunals.

Parents made clear to me that tribunals are often the only mechanism they have to hold local authorities accountable when support is denied. The fact families overwhelmingly win these cases demonstrates that the system is too often failing to meet its legal obligations in the first place.

I also heard significant concern about proposals placing greater emphasis on mainstream inclusion without recognising that mainstream settings are not suitable for every child. Inclusive education matters greatly, but inclusion cannot mean expecting children to cope in environments unable to meet their needs safely or effectively.

The shortage of specialist places across South Tyneside and neighbouring areas is already placing enormous pressure on families, with some children travelling long distances to school while others are missing education altogether because suitable provision does not exist locally.

We heard distressing evidence from young people themselves about the impact of them of the wrong school placement and heard about the increase in exclusion and home schooling for children with SEND.

Decades of underfunding lies at the heart of many of these issues. Families described long waiting lists for speech and language therapy, CAMHS support, autism assessments and occupational therapy, alongside shortages of teaching assistants, educational psychologists, and specialist staff.

I raised these issues in my contribution to the King’s Speech and spoke for the first time about my own autism diagnosis, I also then took the decision to formally raise the issue in an amendment to the King's speech to ensure they get the attention they deserve.

Following this I met with the Education Minister for Schools, Georgia Gould, and Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson, to raise the concerns directly.

We had a constructive discussion covering tribunals, accountability, SEND provision in mainstream schools and the importance of specialist provision for children with the most complex needs.

I received assurances that reforms would preserve access to legal routes and tribunals and that the new specialist packages seek to ensure that children get the support they need without the need for legal intervention - but crucially it will not remove the right to legal intervention.

I was also reassured that there will be an appropriate range of placements for children whose needs cannot safely or effectively be met within mainstream settings.

The Minister also committed to coming to the constituency and to further detailed discussions on these issues before legislation is brought before Parliament.

I want to reassure families across Jarrow and Gateshead East that I will continue raising everything you have shared with me at the highest levels of Government. Every child deserves the opportunity to feel safe, supported and able to learn in the setting best suited to their needs. We must get this right.

Get in touch [email protected]