Political opinion: Alex Ballinger MP on reforming SEND to ensure every child gets the support they deserve
Some weeks in politics are a really powerful reminder of why it matters so much. This week has very much been one of them. Week after week I hear from local parents in Halesowen about how the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) isn’t working for them.
How the support their child needs is obvious, but can’t be provided. How the waiting list for assessments for an Education, Health and Care plan (ECHP), to unlock more support, is measured in months and years, not days and weeks.
I am so proud that yesterday (February 23), Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, set out the government’s plans to reform and transform the system so that support comes earlier, is easier to access, and works around children and families rather than forcing them to fight for help. She’s launched a consultation on an ambitious and bold vision which will see more kids getting ECHP style support without the legal fight they face today.
By investing in better-trained teachers to deliver better access to specialist expertise in mainstream settings, Labour wants the system to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards education that understands and includes every child. Under our plans, children with SEND will get the right support when they need it, closer to home, without parents having to battle to get the better education – and results – their kids deserve. Labour’s plans are about improving support, not removing support.
Every child who needs extra support will have a personal plan that sets out the extra help they’ll get to succeed, matched against high national standards. Every classroom will have a teacher trained to meet the needs of children with SEND, based on the latest evidence. New dedicated school funding will be there to deliver proven SEND programmes such as small-group teaching or speech and language therapies. Every secondary school will have an inclusion base where teachers can deliver additional support.
And in every corner of the country, families will be able to send their child to school with confidence, with a new ‘Experts at Hand’ package to provide more professional support like speech and language therapists for those with speech, language and communication needs.
Whether it’s children with the most complex needs or those who just need a little extra support, we will keep what works and improve what doesn’t, building a new system and investing in new provision so that all children can achieve and thrive.
Delivering a better future for the next generation is why I got into politics, and I am so proud of the change our Labour government is making.
