Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Debate between Jim Dickson and Roz Savage(1 week, 6 days ago)
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Dr Savage
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention and would emphasise that point. We know that investing money up front early in a child’s life ultimately ends up costing less.
The White Paper should also invest in early support in mainstream schools to ensure that SEND support is strengthened, so that schools are properly resourced and not forced to chase EHCPs just to unlock basic help.
Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)
Before the summer recess, I ran a consultation session in Dartford for parents, carers, schools and local organisations to discuss their experiences of SEND. I have provided a full report to the Department for Education to inform the White Paper. Would the hon. Member agree with my constituents’ top three priorities: a faster, simpler EHCP system, investment to provide early interventions for under-fives, and more specialist places in properly resourced mainstream schools?
Dr Savage
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I think he is echoing the same points that I am making.
The White Paper must also close funding gaps and workforce shortages, so that element 2 funding keeps pace with inflation and so that the capacity of speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and occupational therapists is rebuilt. It needs to ensure fairness and accountability, with clear expectations of quality and reducing postcode lotteries. Finally, the White Paper must embed inclusion across mainstream settings, so that children with SEND are supported close to home whenever possible, rather than having to spend many hours a day travelling, often at great cost to their families.
At its heart, this petition and today’s debate are about one fundamental, non-negotiable principle: that every child, in mainstream or special settings, has the right to an education that meets their needs and allows them to fulfil their potential. The IFS report confirms what parents, teachers and schools are saying. The current system is creaking. It is overburdened and under-resourced, and it is operating under legal obligations that are increasingly hard to meet. My call to the Government is simple. When they publish the White Paper, let it align squarely with the arguments made here today by protecting legal rights, strengthening early support, investing in capacity, ensuring inclusion and creating accountability. If the White Paper delivers on those points, children will not just get by, but will be given the firm foundation they need to realise their potential to its full.