Herald Express: Tackling the SEND crisis when parliament returns

Parliament’s summer recess is a bit of a strange time for MPs. Even though we are not in Westminster, politics doesn’t really ever stop.  

I have been making the most of the time to travel the length and breadth of this large constituency, visiting as many towns and villages as I can cover and finding out more about the local issues that people are dealing with. However, since we broke up in July, we have seen a slew of government announcements on everything from policing to pension reforms.  

And as we prepare to return on September 1^st, it feels as if we are entering a crucial period for this Labour Government.  

Labour’s first year was, to me and many others, a major disappointment. With several missteps over welfare and tax rises it has felt surprisingly like a continuation of what came before.  

At the time of writing, only 13% of the public approve of the Government’s work, with 69% saying Keir Starmer is doing badly as Prime Minister. Even the PM has, somewhat subliminally, admitted that the first year did not go to plan.  

But the PM has buoyantly kicked off his second year by promising to “build on…the first year of this government” with an Autumn Budget that will focus on living standards. Clearly, the Government recognises what a consequential period this will be.  

One major challenge on the horizon is that just before the summer recess the Government set themselves a trap that will come back to haunt them when parliament returns: reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support.  

This began in June when the Education Secretary refused to rule out scrapping Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) – legally binding documents that are meant to ensure a child or young person with SEND gets the support they need from a local authority.  

Quite understandably, this set off alarm bells for many parents who believe that, given our broken SEND system, EHCPs are the only way for their child to get the support they need.  

But the challenge is that our current system is fundamentally broken. As part of my role on the Education Select Committee, I have been involved in an enquiry into SEND which has left me with no doubt about the urgent need for reform across the system. Our report, summing up the last year’s work, is due out shortly after Parliament returns.  

Last year, just 46% of EHCPs were issued within the target 20-week window across England. The new Lib Dem-led administration in Devon is working hard to speed up the EHCP process and Torbay has announced changes to its system, which many parents say has ended the crucial support their children rely on.  

But all councils are in a bind – the more EHCPs they grant, the more provision they are legally obliged to provide, and they are buckling under the financial strain.  

I’m glad the Government is tackling the issue after so many years of neglect by the Conservatives. But we have had a summer of confusion and anxiety, and I am sure I am not the only MP whose inbox has been full of parents and carers worried their child is about to lose the support they fought so hard to obtain. 

The Liberal Democrats recently set out five principles to help guide the Government’s reforms, including boosting special school capacity, cutting waiting lists, and the creation of a system that puts children and families first. After years of declining outcomes, families and children deserve nothing less.  

The Liberal Democrats want to work cross-party on this issue to make sure we get these reforms right. We need ambitious reform, with children at its heart. If the Government gets this wrong, I fear we will see a level of backlash larger than the Welfare Bill in June. It is hard to think of a worse way for Labour to begin its second year than that.