Parents frustrated by the multiple failings of England’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system have been warned it is unrealistic to expect swift reforms as MPs announce another inquiry into the crisis.
MPs on Westminster’s cross-party education committee said the latest inquiry would seek to find practical solutions rather than just pointing out problems. The last report lasted 18 months and was released in 2019.
Labor MP Helen Hayes, who chaired the committee’s latest term, said they recognized this could be the “worst crisis” across the education and children’s services sector.
“We know there has been a lot of analysis on this issue,” she said. “What we want to do is focus on where reforms are needed, what is good practice and where we can learn lessons.”
Tania Tirraoro, founder and co-director of Special Needs Jungle, which provides information and resources to families affected by Send, expressed dismay at another survey. “Why don’t they read what other people are saying? There’s nothing that can improve things now – that’s the problem now.
Hayes said before launching the inquiry on Friday: “This is a huge undertaking. If it could be easily solved, it would not be such a crisis. The current situation is unsustainable and unacceptable.
Asked how long it might take to turn the system around, she said she was optimistic a solution would be found, but added: “I don’t think it’s realistic to say change can happen quickly.”
Hayes painted a desperate picture of the state of delivery services across the country: trust broken down between parents and local authorities, children out of school unable to get the support they need, headteachers left in tears over their inability to meet children’s needs and MPs filled with surgeries Distraught parents.
“We have this sense of responsibility across the House of Commons that we have to do this,” Hayes said. “MPs see the consequences of a system that doesn’t work properly every day.
“In the face of these stories of failed families, and of children who have spent their childhoods fighting for the support they deserve, none of us can afford to lose sight of this responsibility. We must do better.
The committee plans to focus on how to stabilize the system in the short term and achieve long-term sustainability, improving outcomes for children and young people, and focusing on every stage of education from early childhood to 25 years.
As part of the investigation, they will look at systems for supporting children with special educational needs in other countries, including Canada and Scandinavian countries where family satisfaction is high.
The committee will also investigate how mainstream schools can be more inclusive of children with TS, including changes to the curriculum and improved support and training for teachers.
They will look at how capacity can be increased, and with many councils racking up huge deficits due to rising costs of sending, the committee will consider reforms to how funding is sent and what happens when statutory oversteps are made, a fabrication to avoid deficit places. The authority books are due to expire in 2026.
MPs will also investigate potential alternatives to education, health and care plans – legally binding documents that detail children’s additional needs but “do not reduce the level of support available”.
“This crisis has many symptoms that permeate the rest of the education system, from the loss of teachers to soaring student absenteeism,” Hayes said.
“There are also symptoms affecting local council budgets – rising spending on transporting pupils far from where they live, and money being poured into the courts where parents expect to win. It is widely felt that if something is not done soon, Change and more councils could face bankruptcy.
“It is absolutely clear that as a country we cannot continue this endless cycle of failure. Turning the ship around may require years of careful reform, but the cross-party education committee will do so by putting forward evidence-based recommendations that the government can implement. Play our part.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “We are determined to restore the confidence of families across the country and deliver the changes they desire and we will work closely with the Education Select Committee to do this.
“We have made progress with an extra £1 billion invested in day-to-day services, including £740 million to support local authorities to create more specialist places in mainstream schools and undertake a curriculum and assessment review to remove barriers that hold back children’s development. Obstacles come from the best opportunities in life.