“The Fight No Parent Should Face Alone”: Halesowen MP Launches SEND Crisis Consultation

In response, Alex Ballinger MP has launched a major local consultation to hear directly from those affected. The move follows a powerful and emotionally charged roundtable where parents, carers, educators and campaigners came together to share their experiences — many speaking openly for the first time.

The event, hosted in partnership with local charity We Love Carers, gave voice to those living on the front line of the SEND system — people who described it as “exhausting”, “broken”, and in urgent need of reform.

“We heard from families who’ve spent months — even years — fighting for basic provision. Children are being failed. Schools are pushed to the brink,” said Mr Ballinger. “Too often, these voices go unheard. This consultation is about changing that — by listening first, then pushing for action.”

A Local System Under Pressure

In Dudley Borough, which includes Halesowen, more than 4,300 children and young people currently have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) — a rise of over 50% in the past five years. However, demand has outstripped capacity. Nearly one in four EHCPs in the area are not issued within the legal 20-week deadline, and families often wait months for initial assessments or placement decisions.

Nationally, SEND tribunals reached over 13,500 cases last year — with more than 96% ruled in favour of parents, highlighting a system where support is routinely denied until legally challenged.

“The process has nearly broken me,” said one local mother, who described how her child was out of school for almost a year due to delays in support. “I shouldn’t have to fight this hard for help my child is entitled to.”

Strain on Schools and Staff

Among the speakers at the roundtable was Stuart Richards, Regional Secretary of the TUC and a former SEND teaching assistant. He spoke candidly about the toll on frontline staff.

“SEND provision has been hollowed out by over a decade of underfunding, and the impact on union members — teachers, teaching assistants and other school support staff — has been devastating. They're being asked to do more with less, while families are left feeling ignored and isolated. Events like this one are vital because they give people space to share their lived experiences and to tell the truth about what is happening — and that truth is we need urgent reform.”

Rachael Gardner, Chief Executive of We Love Carers, spoke on behalf of the many unpaid carers who are shouldering the burden of a system that’s meant to support them.

“Every day, we hear from exhausted families who are falling through the cracks. Instead of receiving help, they’re pulled into constant battles — for assessments, placements, and basic support,” she said. “This event gave people the space to be honest — and to be heard.”

Have Your Say: A Call to Action

As part of the consultation, Mr Ballinger has launched an online survey to hear from more local people with experience of the SEND system — including parents, carers, educators, support workers and young people themselves.

The evidence gathered will help inform Mr Ballinger’s feedback to both the local authority and the Department for Education, highlighting the urgent issues raised by families and professionals across the constituency

“If you’re living this — whether personally or professionally — your voice matters,” he said. “This report will be grounded in real stories and clear facts. And we’ll use it to push for the changes our children, families and schools so desperately need.”

The survey is open now at: forms.office.com/r/ibhU26VCZw

Further listening events are planned across Halesowen and the wider Black Country in the coming weeks, as momentum builds around the campaign.

“We can’t wait for another review or another decade of delay,” said Mr Ballinger. “Our children deserve better — and we’re going to fight for it.”