Rachel Filmer is a SEND campaigner and parent of disabled twins boys, who are thriving in a specialist school following an arduous tribunal process in 2020.
Since then, Rachel has volunteered supporting local families through the EHCP and appeal process. She is passionate about the legal rights of disabled children and empowering parents to challenge unlawful decision making.
Rachel previously worked in publishing and international events before setting up her own business as an artist and tutor. For the last six years she has worked in co-production, predominantly within maternity and reproductive health, and strongly believes that SEND services should be designed alongside those accessing them.
Rachel founded local campaign group BCP Alliance for Children & Schools (www.BCPACS.uk) bringing together parents, education staff and unions to campaign against funding and service cuts within education. She also started the national Stop Safety Valve campaign (www.stopsafetyvalve.co.uk).
@cutscenesUK
Rachel’s posts on SNJ:
- The Unacceptable Truth: 20 SEND legal rights at risk from the Government’s SEND reformsYou may be feeling like the Department for Education has beaten you into submission this year with confusing consultation after…Continue reading »
- Focusing on ADHD and autism diagnosis won’t cut costs and wastes money that should be spent on urgent supportLast week, Wes Streeting announced a review into rising diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and mental health conditions. “Wes Streeting orders…Continue reading »
- ADHD and Autism Right To Choose referrals paused as at least nine NHS areas tell providers to stop booking assessmentsFor many of the people languishing on years-long NHS waiting lists for autism and ADHD assessments, a pathway called Right…Continue reading »
- Challenging SEND misinformation, one radio interview at a timeIn recent months, I seem to have been nominated by team SNJ to be their main media commentator. They claim…Continue reading »
- SEND Day of Action: Fight to #SaveOurChildrensRights on September 15th. They broke the system. They can’t break usNext Monday, 15th September, will be a landmark Day of Action for SEND families. Thanks to the more than 122,000…Continue reading »
- Divide, conquer and cut: The “strategy” behind the erosion of SEND rights?I loathe the concept of “strategic incompetence.” It describes the tactic of performing a task so poorly, you’re never asked…Continue reading »
- Government responds to our Save SEND Legal Rights Petition—but misses the point entirelyWith remarkable swiftness, the Department for Education has responded to the petition I started to “Retain the legal right to…Continue reading »
- Act now! Sign and Share the Parliamentary Petition to PROTECT SEND RIGHTS!** Read the updates to this post** Government responds to our Save SEND Legal Rights Petition—but misses the point entirely…Continue reading »
- Renewed petition to SCRAP SEND Safety Valve and write off council High Needs debtSNJ first highlighted the SEND Safety Valve programme back in 2021. This Department for Education (DfE) scheme, essentially “blackmails” debt-ridden…Continue reading »
- Cut neurodiversity assessment waiting lists in one easy step: Create more barriers to NHS referralsWith waiting lists for autism and ADHD assessment extending to several years, the government and the NHS are looking for…Continue reading »
- Language matters: Why the definition of SEND is shifting, and why we should be worried Back in July, we covered the ISOS Partnership report, funded by two councils’ bodies, that made a highly dubious case…Continue reading »
- Commons committee lets the Department for Education off the hook—so we’ll do the scrutiny insteadCall me weird, but I was quite looking forward to this hearing of the Commons Public Accounts Committee this week.…Continue reading »
- “Lack of stigma” blamed for rising SEND? We will NEVER be ashamed of our disabled childrenIn a surprise to absolutely no one, the recent National Audit Office report into the “value for money” of the…Continue reading »
- Children with SEND deserve better than being made pawns in the VAT warswith additional input from Tania Tirraoro In the recent parliamentary SEND debate, a number of MPs spoke passionately on behalf…Continue reading »
- Parent campaigners: We must suspend the SEND Safety Valve programme: Here’s why, and howImagine you’re a builder, called to quote on a crumbling, damp-ridden house. You do an in-depth assessment of the issues…Continue reading »
- The Warwickshire councillors are not unique: They’re indicative of growing resentment toward supporting disabled childrenWith Rachel Filmer, SEND Parent SNJ intro: You are unlikely to have missed the furore over the abhorrent comments by…Continue reading »
