SEND Provision in East Kent

Last week, parents from across East Kent staged a protest outside the offices of Kent County Council. Desperate parents, carers and SEND professionals demanded changes and an increased focus on SEND provision in our schools and communities.

SEND Reform England is a newly formed organisation which evolved from a support group to highlight the lack of teaching assistants and teachers with specific SEND training.

Over the years, I have dealt with far too many cases where parents cannot get the specialist provision and help their children desperately need. Many young people have been neglected, fallen outside of the system, and consequently are not receiving the education, encouragement and support that they require.

The Government must work with parents, carers, children and councils to help them fund and deliver the provision they have long been calling for. All children have the right to access proper suitable education.

I also want to see joined up services and improved data usage, to identify children’s needs earlier so that intervention supports child development from a young age. These parents have had enough and I will continue to join them in demanding better for their children.