MP for South West Devon, Rebecca Smith has launched a survey for families, carers and educators to share their experiences and views, following the publication of the Government's Schools White Paper which sets out major reforms to the SEND system.

The reforms introduce significant changes to the SEND system including: EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans) will be reserved for children with the most complex needs, many other children will move onto “individual support plans” (ISPs), which do not carry the same legal protections as EHCPs, councils will have greater responsibility for school placements, while mainstream schools are expected to provide inclusive support.

£4 billion of funding has been announced over three years to support these reforms, though questions remain about allocation and sustainability.

Speaking following the publication of the plan, Miss. Smith said: "These reforms are a major shift for children with SEND and their families.

Every child deserves the right support and parents must have confidence that protections are not weakened and funding is delivered where it’s needed most."

"This survey is your chance to make your voice heard. Whether you are a parent, carer, teacher or family member supporting a child with SEND, your experiences will help me hold the government to account and ensure these reforms truly work for the children who rely on them."

The survey will gather insights on families’ experiences with EHCPs and local authority support, access to appropriate school placements and inclusive education, concerns about individual support plans and funding clarity and suggestions for improving the SEND system.

Miss. Smith concluded by saying: "I encourage everyone affected by SEND to take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your responses will directly inform my work in Parliament and help secure the safeguards that families need and deserve."

The survey can be completed online here: https://tinyurl.com/ybhs9c5w

Meanwhile South Devon MP Caroline Voaden said: "With too many parents seeing their child's legal rights diluted, or funding not matching the government's stated ambition, it's hard to imagine that their anxiety about these reforms has subsided.

"We need to see far more ambition through universal screening - the current policy still fails to provide the early intervention and reassurance that parents have been crying out for.

“There is nothing in the paper about funding for additional teaching assistants - how will the government achieve its aim of making mainstream more inclusive without a serious uplift in the number of assistants supporting classroom teachers?

"Liberal Democrats are calling for much tighter rules on private providers, the Government must cap profits, and grant SEND schools Critical National Infrastructure status - to end the dodgy backroom deals that take money away from frontline services."

The government wrote on their official release: ‘Every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, as government unveils landmark £4 billion investment to make every school truly inclusive and transform outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The investment comes with the government set to unveil its schools white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, a blueprint for opportunity for all children, including generational reforms to the SEND system.’