Keir Starmer and Bridget Philipson are being urged not to remove legal rights for SEND children (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
A major campaign has been launched today urging the Government to ensure that disabled children keep their legal rights to receive the same education and opportunities as their friends and classmates. It was revealed earlier this year that ministers are planning changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in English schools – which could include the removal of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for some children.
Campaigners and families fear the removal of EHCPs – statutory documents designed to support young people up to the age of 25 – will take away the rights of children to an education built around their specific needs. The Disabled Children’s Partnership – made up of more than 130 charities and parent groups – is launching its new report, Fight for Ordinary, which sets out a blueprint for reforming the SEND system in England.
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It lays out a five-point plan to make ‘once-in-a-generation’ changes that will improve the lives of disabled children, young people and their families. It also highlights the fact they want nothing more than the ‘ordinary’ things that other children take for granted.
Research commissioned by the DCP demonstrates that there is overwhelming support for disabled children’s ‘ordinary’ expectations to be protected by law – with almost nine in 10 of the 2,000 adults surveyed agreeing that disabled children and children with additional needs should have legal rights and protections that give them the same education and opportunities as their peers.
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Moreover, 94% of those polled believe all children should have a school place where they feel happy, belong, and can achieve; 93% believe children should have timely access to healthcare and 91% agree children should have the opportunity to make friends and take part in after-school activities. The Fight For Ordinary report’s five key recommendations include the implementation of: legally-guaranteed support for all children who need it – not only those with an EHCP; staff training and specialist support to ensure nurseries, schools, and colleges are set up for children with SEND; comprehensive plans to ensure every local area has the right mix of mainstream and specialist school places; systems that adequately measure the progress and experiences of children and young people with SEND,; and adequate funding and the right incentives to ensure the reforms succeed.
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Anna Bird, CEO of Contact and Chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership said: “Children with SEND want ordinary things – a place to learn safely, the opportunity to take part in after-school activities and the chance for parents to work to support their children, rather than having to put their working lives on hold. Our polling shows that the public overwhelmingly supports SEND families in their desire to achieve ordinary expectations for their children.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to get it right for children with SEND. The Government will only get reforms right if they work together with young people, parents, and the organisations that represent them. The DCP has today fired the starting gun on this collaborative process, setting out our blueprint for reform ahead of the Government's white paper.”
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