Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Debate between Neil Duncan-Jordan and Steve Witherden(4 weeks, 1 day ago)
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Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) (Ind)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq.
It is with a great sense of pride that I speak in this debate, because it was my constituent, Rachel Filmer, who launched this petition, which has secured over 100,000 signatures. It is great to see Rachel in the Public Gallery today.
Some weeks ago, I held an event in my constituency with SEND families to discuss the challenges they face and to hear what needs to change. Some specific issues arose. First, class is a huge issue in the current system. Many parents resort to private diagnosis after waiting for extended periods, which has concerning implications for low-income families who might not have the resources to get such a diagnosis.
Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)
Does my hon. Friend agree that, when a class element applies with less favourable outcomes for those who cannot pay, the very concept of universalism is in jeopardy?
Neil Duncan-Jordan
As I am a keen universalist, I have to agree with my hon. Friend.
There is also a bureaucracy to navigate. It takes massive amounts of time, effort and knowledge of process for parents to navigate the system to get the support they need. That puts parents with lower educational attainment, complex personal needs or busy working lives at a disadvantage. It is no wonder that 62% of parent-carers of SEND children are not in paid employment.