It’s been 5 years since we started supporting families and schools to navigate what feels like an impossible SEN system. Our own journey, now nearly 17 years in the making, has taught us so much about how to fight for the awesome Autistic children in our community. Although this latest PAC report is distressing and disappointing, I don’t believe that anyone in this profession or any parent to a child with SEN will be in the least bit surprised.
“The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said too many families are struggling to access the help their children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) “desperately need”. In a damning report, the committee said whether children receive support depends too much on their postcode, or how well families can navigate “an often chaotic and adversarial system”. It highlighted “long waiting times” for assessments and support and an increase in the number of parents who are appealing education, health and care (EHC) plan decisions via tribunals. Nearly all (98%) of the cases taken to tribunal were found in favour of parents – which the PAC report said, “undermines families’ confidence in the system”. The Send system remains “unviable” with current piecemeal interventions doing nothing to provide a financially sustainable system, according to the cross-party committee. The PAC has called on the Government to urgently take action to improve the system which it warned is putting nearly half of councils in England at risk of “effectively going bankrupt”.
It is at this moment we want to reassure you that WE HEAR YOU, WE SEE YOU and we are happy to help.
Please do feel free to drop us an email if you want some advice or to just be pointed in the right direction. We are always open for TV, radio an Podcast interviews and have always remained transparent but empathetic to the current SEND struggles.
My Mum always used to say ” things have to get worse before they get better” lets hope she’s right!
