SEND reform - Parent Carer Voice

SEND reform - Parent Carer Voice

The government is proposing major changes to the SEND system. The official consultation is long and technical. Whilst we would encourage those who can to engage in the official consultation, we have translated it into plain English here for you. We will use your feedback to write a formal response representing Cambridgeshire families.  Pinpoint is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all individuals whose information we collect and process. We adhere to the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679. When you submit this form, it will not automatically collect your details, like name and email address, unless you provide them yourself.

About you

Your views

Early Identification and Early Years

You may wish to think about:

  • Were your child’s needs identified early enough?
  • What delayed support?
  • What should happen automatically for under-5s with complex needs?
  • How could nurseries, schools and colleges better support mental health?

The 3 layers of support

You may wish to think about:

  • Does mainstream (universal offer) work for your child?
  • If not, what’s missing?
  • For children needing extra support (targeted layer), what works?
  • What falls apart?
  • For children needing specialist provision, was it accessible and timely?

EHCP's and Support Plans

You may wish to think about:

  • If your child has an EHCP – does it guarantee support in reality?
  • Are support plans clear and usable?
  • What makes a good plan?
  • What needs to change?

Choosing the Right School or Placement

You may wish to think about:

  • Were you offered suitable options?
  • Did cost feel like a factor in decisions?
  • What information would help parents choose well?
  • If your child used Alternative Provision – was it temporary and appropriate?

Inclusion and Mainstream Access

You may wish to think about:

  • Is mainstream genuinely inclusive?
  • Do inclusion bases help?
  • What stops children succeeding in mainstream?
  • What would make schools more accountable?

Funding and Fairness

You may wish to think about:

  • Do you believe SEND funding follows need?
  • Should more funding sit directly in mainstream schools?
  • How should schools be held accountable for SEND spending?
  • Does the system feel fair?

Working Together (Education, Health and Social Care)

You may wish to think about:

  • Do professionals talk to each other?
  • Do you repeat your story?
  • What would real joined-up working look like?
  • Who must be at the table in local SEND decisions?

Disagreements and Complaints

You may wish to think about:

  • If you’ve challenged decisions, was it fair?
  • Should SEND specialists sit on complaint panels?
  • What would make disagreements less adversarial?

Transitions and Post 16

You may wish to think about:

  • Was transition to college/training/employment smooth?
  • What support is missing for young people?

Big Picture

You may wish to think about:

  • Do these reforms feel hopeful or worrying?
  • What is your biggest concern?
  • What is the one thing you would change tomorrow?

Please use this space to add anything else that you would like us to feedback into the government consultation process

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