Government launches national conversation on SEND

In this update, senior associate Erin Smart outlines what this engagement exercise will involve and how parents can ensure their voices are heard. 

There are nine face-to-face regional events and five online sessions, making space for “tens of thousands” of parents, carers, professionals and young people to give their input. The engagement will centre around five core themes:

• Early intervention, which will involve getting help in place earlier when it can make the biggest difference.  
• Local provision, ensuring children can learn near home, with appropriate and specialist support when needed.
• Fairness, so families don’t have to fight for support; every school has the resources and capacity to meet children’s needs and there are clear and consistent legal safeguards.  
• Effective practice, consisting of support grounded in evidence, focused on long-term positive outcomes.  
• Joined-up working, bringing together education, health, care, local authorities, families, schools and experts so support is coordinated and holistic.  

Participants will be able to share views on a wide range of proposals, including written support plans for children, improved access to independent advocacy, and establishing a national framework for consistent SEND support across all settings.  

For too many parents, and certainly all those who ultimately seek our advice, the SEND system has felt adversarial - one where you must push hard just to secure even basic support. The DfE is now inviting families to help build a better system. 

Here’s how you can take part:

• Sign up for a regional event. Face-to-face sessions across England offer an opportunity to speak directly with officials, experts and other parents.  
• Join an online session if you can’t travel. The online events allow participation from home via phone, tablet or laptop.  
• Share your experiences and ideas. You don’t need legal expertise, just your lived experience: what has helped, what has failed, and what changes you believe are needed.  
• Encourage others to take part. Families, carers, young people themselves, educators, support workers - anyone connected to SEND support is welcome. The more voices that are heard, the stronger the chance reforms truly reflect lived realities.  

By sharing what has worked well for you and what hasn’t, it is hoped that this can help ensure that reforms don’t just look good on paper but truly deliver for families, children and young people across the country.

Erin Smart is a senior associate in the education law team. She advises on a wide range of educational issues and specialises in special educational needs, including assisting clients to apply for Education Health and Care (“EHC”) needs assessments and EHC plans. Erin also advises on school related issues such as discrimination, admissions and exclusions.