Last week, Wes Streeting announced a review into rising diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and mental health conditions. “Wes Streeting orders inquiry into mental health ‘overdiagnosis’” yelled a Times headline, atop …
For many of the people languishing on years-long NHS waiting lists for autism and ADHD assessments, a pathway called Right to Choose (RTC) has been a vital lifeline. Funded by …
In recent months, I seem to have been nominated by team SNJ to be their main media commentator. They claim it’s because I have a good grasp of the issues …
Next Monday, 15th September, will be a landmark Day of Action for SEND families. Thanks to the more than 122,000 people who signed our parliamentary petition, MPs will debate SEND …
I loathe the concept of “strategic incompetence.” It describes the tactic of performing a task so poorly, you’re never asked to do it again. It’s often used in the context …
With remarkable swiftness, the Department for Education has responded to the petition I started to “Retain the legal right to assessment and support in education for children with SEND”. This …
** Read the updates to this post** If you’re a SEND parent or a teacher, certain headlines last week likely made your blood run cold – headlines like “250,000 SEND …
SNJ first highlighted the SEND Safety Valve programme back in 2021. This Department for Education (DfE) scheme, essentially “blackmails” debt-ridden local authorities (LAs) into cutting services for disabled children in …
With waiting lists for autism and ADHD assessment extending to several years, the government and the NHS are looking for novel ways to cut those numbers. The government recently announced …
Back in July, we covered the ISOS Partnership report, funded by two councils’ bodies, that made a highly dubious case for sweeping reform to the SEND system in favour of …
Call me weird, but I was quite looking forward to this hearing of the Commons Public Accounts Committee this week. The National Audit Office report was so damning, I was …
In a surprise to absolutely no one, the recent National Audit Office report into the “value for money” of the SEND system has exacerbated negative attitudes towards disabled children and …
with additional input from Tania Tirraoro In the recent parliamentary SEND debate, a number of MPs spoke passionately on behalf of vulnerable children and their families being failed by their …
Imagine you’re a builder, called to quote on a crumbling, damp-ridden house. You do an in-depth assessment of the issues and calculate the costs of this enormous task, all the …
With Rachel Filmer, SEND Parent SNJ intro: You are unlikely to have missed the furore over the abhorrent comments by the Tory councillors in Warwickshire last week. We shared our …
