Children with SEND: Assessments and Support Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Education
Liz Jarvis
Main Page: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)Department Debates - View all Liz Jarvis's debates with the Department for Education
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Liz Jarvis Excerpts(3 weeks, 6 days ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Liz Jarvis (Eastleigh) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of parents from Eastleigh.
I frequently hear from constituents who are exhausted emotionally, financially and physically by a system that too often feels like an adversarial battle. Alex, who is a police officer, told me:
“Just managing our child’s medical appointments, EHCP paperwork, medication and occupational therapy exercises is enough work for one person…somehow I squeeze it all in around my busy day job. But the trauma caused by dealing with this in your own home is beyond anything I have witnessed at work. Unpaid carers all over the country are drowning. Don’t we deserve more than this?”
They do deserve more.
In Eastleigh, 12.5% of students receive SEN support. However, there are critical delays in securing an EHCP assessment, which significantly impacts the wellbeing of children while their parents battle with the system. According to the latest figures, 59% of EHCPs in Hampshire take between 20 weeks and a year to be issued. Hampshire county council has declined assessments for 23% of EHCP applications.
My constituent Justine had to deal with considerable back and forth with Hampshire county council over getting transport to school for her son. She said that the uncertainty was
“making his anxiety worse. The lack of routine and structure is frankly cruel.”
Routes have been changed without notice and drivers swapped at the last minute, and some families have been refused transport all together. The result has been distressing for children and young people who understandably rely on routine and predictability, some of whom have been left so anxious by the confusion that they refuse to travel. Families who are already stretched to breaking point should not have to face this level of disruption on top of everything else.
It is welcome that the Government recognise the need for reforms, but families desperately need and deserve clarity about what the plans look like. All children deserve a fair system that recognises their needs and gives them a chance to thrive.