Tell your MP to #SENDABetterMessage

2 mins read

Tuesday 19 April 2022

Tags: education, disabled children's partnership, send, SEND review

Today, the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) is calling on the government to use its SEND reform programme to create a more just, fairer system of support for disabled children and families.

Email your MP and demand they #SENDABetterMessage. 

The DCP’s view on the SEND Green Paper 

The #SENDABetterMessage campaign launches in response to the SEND Green Paper. This sets out government plans to change how disabled children’s education, health and care works. The green paper is an important opportunity to important the current system. But we also can’t let the government make it harder to access support.

The DCP – a coalition of 100 organisations chaired by our CEO Amanda Batten – agrees with a lot of the problems outlined in the Green Paper. However, we are very concerned that some of the proposals will restrict families with disabled children from getting services and create extra barriers in an already burdensome system.   

In particular, the DCP are concerned by the proposals to:  

  • Only let families pick a school from a pre-defined list. This could limit choice and prevent a young person from accessing the school that is best for them.  
  • Decide the levels of support disabled children get from a national banding system which may restrict access to support. It should be based on individual need, as was laid out in the Children and Families Act 2014.  
  • Make mediation mandatory before allowing families to go to Tribunal. This adds an extra step and could make it harder for families to access tribunals.  

Finally, the Green Paper does not answer the biggest issue for many families. How are councils, schools, the health service and others going to be held to account if they don’t meet their legal duties? 

Download the full briefing on the campaign and the Green Paper.

How can you get involved?