“We need the government to prioritise the needs of disabled children” – New research finds 200,000 disabled children are struggling to get right support

New research revealed today by the national disability charity Sense has exposed the number of disabled children being failed by the current special educational needs system.

Sense polling found that 46 per cent of parents of disabled children said they struggled to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place for their child, and a similar number said even with a plan in place, they faced obstacles in getting it delivered. This equates to around 200,000 children in England having problems getting the right support.

An EHCP is a legal document given to children and young people who have special educational needs, and describes the extra funding and support they are entitled to.

A third of parents nationwide (33 per cent) said the fight for support was so great that they were forced to go to tribunal in order to get their local authority to agree to fund their disabled child’s education. Almost all parents who go to tribunal win their fights; last year, 98 per cent of tribunals were decided in parents’ favour, according to HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Two in five parents (39 per cent) told Sense that they had been forced to educate their child at home because of a lack of local options or available funding. This can have large financial implications for families who then face a loss of income; disabled children are more likely to live in poverty than non-disabled children.

 Richard Kramer, chief executive of Sense, said: “This polling lays bare the shocking realities of our current special educational needs system. Every child has the right to access education to get the best start in life, and it is unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of disabled children are being denied this basic right. 

 “This lack of support also puts a huge toll on parents, impacting the whole family. Getting an EHC plan is often a complex and lengthy process involving multiple assessments and draft plans. Having to fight for the right support is emotionally and, frequently, financially taxing.

 “We’ve had parents tell us that they are spending savings put aside for their children’s future before they even start school, just to fight for the right support. Other parents have had to give up their careers because their children’s needs aren’t being met.

 “We urge the new government to set out an improvement plan for SEND in its upcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill. The issue is only getting worse; we need the government to prioritise the needs of disabled children.”

Responding to today’s research, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Parents should not face this kind of battle just to get the support their children need, or ever be left feeling they have no choice but to turn to home-schooling because this help is not being delivered.

“Schools work tirelessly to put the right support in place, but capacity and investment in schools and specialist services has simply not increased in line with soaring demand over the last decade.

“This affects not only overworked school staff who review Education Health and Care (EHC) plans, but the local authorities which update plans, and the specialist services feeding into them – the sector is facing serious issues when it comes to recruitment and retention of crucial staff like educational psychologists and case workers.

“While there are no quick fixes, it is positive the new government has acknowledged the crisis it has inherited and this must lead to targeted investment where it is needed most and the implementation of a wider workforce strategy, as well as long-term reform to repair this damaged system.”