How many reports do we need to write before something is done for our kids with SEND? Children’s development ‘put back by years’ due to failure of special educational needs system www.theguardian.com/education/20... - ThreadSky

kallmemeg.bsky.social • 96 days ago

How many reports do we need to write before something is done for our kids with SEND?

Children’s development ‘put back by years’ due to failure of special educational needs system

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/nov/23/childrens-development-put-back-by-years-in-england-due-to-failure-of-special-educational-needs-system

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themorganic.bsky.social•96 days ago

It’s so frustrating.

I was a founder-member of a community support & info group for dyslexia / neurodiversity. Things just got worse as budgets & services were cut. Then we also had the dyslexia deniers added into the mix!

hwganendodoc.bsky.social•96 days ago

It’s very sad. I have a template which I literally cut and paste and send to councils and schools for all the children with brain tumours I care for. And these are parents who already advocate so strongly for their children. Then there are those who don’t even know how to navigate the system…

paulnuki.bsky.social•96 days ago

The system will only change if responsibility for SEN assessments is given to independent specialists and taken away from local councils who - as the providers of what the assessment specifies - are utterly conflicted.
Cameron promised to do this in 2010 but then got power and dropped it.

thebluecorner.bsky.social•96 days ago

It will go on until real individual and systemic accountability is introduced and enforced.

Whatever the system and whoever writes reports, the LAs are ostensibly free to act unlawfully and delay or fail to deliver.

The FTT upheld 98.3% of appeals. The LGO 90% of complaints. On it goes …

kallmemeg.bsky.social•96 days ago

I completely agree with this.

paulnuki.bsky.social•96 days ago

I wish I could be optimistic about it but can’t. Truth is the British *state* does not really get or care about special needs people and never has. For the great majority, care ranges from neglect to reluctantly provided baby sitting services at best.

carotomes.bsky.social•96 days ago

That would like sense - removing the conflict of interests. Sadly many going private for ND assessments (children and adults) experience non-acceptance of assessments perceived as ‘outside the system’ (even though often they are approved providers… just not local)

paulnuki.bsky.social•96 days ago

To be clear, I’m not suggesting a private mechanism. The state should do it but separate the assessor and provider functions. In many ways it’s just a statement of the blindingly obvious.

carotomes.bsky.social•96 days ago

We’re in agreement - the risk of assessments not being accepted (whether private or publicly funded (eg right to choose) still needs to be considered, as currently some are not being accepted

annejmckay.bsky.social•96 days ago

Unfortunately there’s never enough money for the SEND system. To get support/an education for their SEND kids, parents/carers have to navigate round a broken system. It’s exhausting for SEND families and even if you try your best, you feel you’ve failed them 😢

carotomes.bsky.social•96 days ago

It’s incredibly draining. And I know I have the privilege of understanding a bit about how public services operate, and yet it’s still baffling trying to navigate through. I wish people designed people friendly services.

kallmemeg.bsky.social•96 days ago

@chrischirp.bsky.social and I are working on a project trying to do this but it’s a mountain of a challenge that really needs systemic restructuring / rethinking.

kallmemeg.bsky.social•96 days ago

I feel the same, navigating it as a parent. If I find it hard, then how must people with low literacy, poor English, unempowered or otherwise disenfranchised by the system navigate it?

I’m literally off to download 2 clinic letters from hospital app, email to self, to email to school/therapists.

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