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The government has begun a nationwide engagement campaign intended to “make sure parents play a central role” in plans to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The Department for Education (DfE) said it “inherited a SEND system on its knees, with too many children let down and parents fighting just to be heard”.
In light of this, it is now launching a public engagement campaign that will take place across the country.
Minister for school standards, Georgia Gould, is leading the programme, which will involve nine in-person events in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children, alongside five online sessions. The DfE said the schedule would create tens of thousands of spaces for parents, carers and practitioners to give feedback on its principles for reform.
The engagement will cover early intervention, local provision, fairness, evidence-based practice and shared working between education, health and care services.
Officials said the discussions would draw on earlier feedback, and attendees will be asked for views on proposals that include written records of support for children, access to independent advocacy for families and a national framework outlining the range of help available in all settings.
Minister for school standards Georgia Gould said: “For too long families have felt unheard and left to battle a system that simply doesn’t deliver for their children.
“We’re committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity for children with SEND, which is why we’re putting lived experience at the heart of our reforms and creating a direct line to parents across the nation.”
She added: “We want this to be the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation, and I urge parents, teachers and all those with views to participate and help us deliver lasting reform.”
Gould opened the roadshow in Bristol yesterday (2 December). It follows more than 100 listening sessions with families carried out by the department in recent months. A formal consultation is expected after the publication of the Schools White Paper next year.
