Standing up for families affected by the SEND crisis

On Monday 15th September, I participated in one of the most important debates that has been held in Parliament since I was elected as Woking’s MP – protecting the legal right to support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The debate was clearly so important, it was standing room only in the chamber. 

I’m hugely grateful to my Lib Dem colleague, Roz Savage MP, for securing a debate on a topic that I receive such a large amount of correspondence on. 

Since being elected as Woking’s MP, I have spoken to 68 parents and carers who have been brought to the brink of despair fighting to secure the education their child needs and deserves. Their children have disabilities or special educational needs, yet far too often the system works against them instead of with them. That is simply unacceptable. 

The truth is that the SEND system is not only failing children and families, but also taxpayers. The number of complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has surged in recent years. 
 
This is a national crisis, but things are especially bad in Surrey. The ombudsman has received 348 complaints about the Conservative led Surrey County Council over the past six years. That is the highest number in England. 

Parents are facing battles that can drag on for years just to secure an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Even when they succeed, many are still left without a suitable school place. I know families in Woking who have had children out of education for years at a time. 

Others have been told to wait until October next year before their appeal will even be heard. Some children have been offered just an hour of remote learning instead of a proper education. This is not good enough. 

The crisis was created by years of Conservative mismanagement, and now families are looking to the new Labour Government for leadership. They must act to strengthen parents' rights to question a failing system. To properly invest in SEND provision and ensure councils, schools and health services work together to support vulnerable children. 

We cannot allow another generation of children to be failed. I will continue to press the Government on this issue to ensure that every child gets the school place, proper support, and, above all, the hope for their future that they deserve. 

Watch my speech in full below.