Last week we ran an article from the public accountability initiative, Measure What Matters. It detailed evidence that MWM is gathering to show the law on SEND isn’t failing—it’s being systematically undermined by councils’ lack of compliance. Today, we bring further news from MP Chris Coghlan about his role in bringing this together.
Before we get into that, we have two other pieces of news. Firstly, this week, SNJ and our columnist, Catriona Moore of IPSEA met the new SEND Minister, Georgia Gould MP. We restated that the law must be retained, strengthened, and LAs held accountable for routinely failing in their statutory duties. Read more about that here. Secondly, next Monday (3/11), parent carers across the country will participate in another protest, #EveryPairTellsAStory from SEND Sanctuary, organised by indefatigable campaigner, Aimee Bradley. Find out how you can help on her website here.
The recent Parliamentary SEND debate, sparked by the 130k-signature petition started by our campaign manager, Rachel, has really changed the narrative. Chris Coghlan MP was one of those who spoke up for families at the debate. The MP for Dorking has become a strong voice for SEND in Surrey, highlighting his county’s dreadful record on provision. His work has extended nationwide, working alongside Measure What Matters, gathering hundreds of family stories of terrible treatment by their LAs. They still want to hear your testimony of unlawful LA shenanigans.
Today, we are grateful that Chris has found time to write himself about what he has found—and what he wants to happen, including reframing costs as investment…
LA misconduct is wrecking the lives of tens of thousands of SEND children. By Chris Coghlan MP
Two weeks ago, I announced on ITV that I’d received over 600 family testimonies describing illegal or harmful conduct relating to SEND by 114 local authorities across the country.
This followed the call of Helen Hayes MP, Education Select Committee Chair the same week, that children’s Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) rights must not be watered down. Meanwhile, last week, the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced she was postponing SEND reforms, widely anticipated to water down EHCP rights, until the New Year to “listen more to parents”.
It disgusts me how we treat some of our most vulnerable citizens. Last month, I sat with a mum two weeks after her 12-year-old autistic child had attempted suicide. It was the second time. One week after that attempt, NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) wrote to the family’s GP stating they assessed that the child’s risk of suicide was “low”. The child had no EHCP despite years of fighting for suitable support at school. When I told their mum that my team member had come in especially to see her, she burst into tears. So did I.
I’ve seen this same pattern of denial and avoidance extend beyond SEND, particularly where vulnerable people are concerned. Another mum I’ve been helping, Fiona Laskaris, begged local authorities in Leeds for years to intervene to protect her adult autistic son, Christopher. They ignored her, and he was later exploited and murdered by a man recently released from jail. I’ve worked with ITV on a national campaign about this case. Another tragic example of what happens when local authorities treat accountability as optional and shrug off their most basic duty of care.
Why won’t politicians address council misconduct?
Local authority misconduct is the “elephant in the room” that politicians appear reluctant to discuss, as it will almost certainly involve criticising one’s own party, or excusing it by pointing out the LA is financially overwhelmed. If so, it is shameful.
In February, I first wrote to the Education Secretary to express my concerns, delivering evidence of chronic misconduct by Surrey County Council, including reclassifying complaints as “enquires” to massage the figures, as covered by ITV
In July, I delivered 120 testimonies of lawbreaking, gaslighting and lying on SEND by Surrey County Council, together with parents and Al Pinkerton MP to the Education Secretary, as also covered by ITV. With catastrophic maladministration of SEND duties now beyond dispute, the parents called for immediate intervention in Surrey to keep their children safe from harm.
My constituent, Sharren Bridges, came with me. She lost her daughter, Jen Chalkley, aged 17, to avoidable suicide following serious negligence by Surrey, CAMHS, and other agencies.
Qualitative data on council misconduct
“They reveal widespread failings. Parents frequently describe misrepresentation, gaslighting, and intimidation. Councils are accused of rewriting records, ignoring court orders, and using bullying tactics to deter complaints.”
So far, it appears the Education Secretary has instead been listening more to the calls of local authorities. These LAs want to reduce children’s rights, to “solve” the problem by removing families’ rights to appeal harmful decisions to tribunal, and presumably just put up with destroyed lives. This is despite families winning tribunals 98.7% of the time.
With her partial U-turn delaying the SEND reforms, there is finally hope that the Education Secretary is starting to listen. But clearly, as we cannot trust local authorities on SEND, there is no credible path to handing them more rights over our children.
These testimonies now represent the largest aggregated, qualitative dataset on LAs’ SEND misconduct (verbatim accounts collated by Measure what Matters, a social initiative. You can find a copy published on my website. They reveal widespread failings. Parents frequently describe misrepresentation, gaslighting, and intimidation. Councils are accused of rewriting records, ignoring court orders, and using bullying tactics to deter complaints.
One family reported that over six years, their local authority has fabricated reports, raised multiple false safeguarding referrals (all later dismissed as unfounded), and illegally withdrew transport and care funding. The local authority then defied repeated court orders and forced this family through years of complex legal proceedings.
Systemic neglect of the law
Across the testimonies, a pattern emerges of prolonged, systemic neglect of legal duties, leaving children without education for months, sometimes years. Many young people are pushed into severe mental health crises, including suicide attempts, and families are left facing debilitating financial and emotional harm.
Families described being “preyed upon” with professional reports being ignored, rewritten or deleted, key evidence and data removed from files. The experiences recounted leave families “broken, suicidal, and traumatised” and, in aggregate, potentially amount to tens of thousands of young lives ruined across the country.
What the Education Secretary needs to do
Instead of cutting children’s rights, the Education Secretary should focus SEND reforms on:
- No dilution of legal protections
The Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice remain the foundation of timely, needs-led support. Their problem is not design but delivery. These rights must not be weakened, devolved, or made discretionary under any guise of simplification or efficiency.
- Reframe SEND as an investment, not a cost
Early, lawful intervention is not a drain on public finances. It is the most effective investment a government can make. Evidence consistently shows that every pound spent on early support generates multiple pounds in long-term social and economic benefit. Viewing SEND through the lens of short-term cost control has created a false economy that multiplies harm, dependency, and crisis spending.
Elevate the voices of those most affected
Any credible reform must now be shaped with those who live with its consequences: children, families, educators, advocates, and those who support them. Their experiences are not just opinions to be managed, but evidence essential to understanding what is broken and shaping how to fix it. In the rush to “fix” the system, this principle of participation has been lost. It must be restored, placing these voices not at the margins, but at the very centre of policy design and decision-making.
I am convinced that a compassionate, sustainable, and just SEND system is possible for our country. If the government shows the leadership, vision, and hope that SEND families need, I will be cheering them on.
About Chris Coghlan MP
Chris Coghlan was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Dorking and Horley in 2024.
He spent a decade in the City before serving in the Foreign Office and founding the charity www.growmovement.org. He is an officer in the army reserve and served in Iraq against ISIS.
Image shows Chris listening to parents at a recent SEND feedback session in Surrey
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Also read:
Also read:
- Beyond EHCPs: Why Inclusion Needs More Than a Document
- The Unacceptable Truth: 20 SEND legal rights at risk from the Government’s SEND reforms
- How health and family support systems are failing children starting school
- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals
- When things go right: Shining a light on SEND Practitioners making a positive impact [Giveaway!]
- From suspicion to support: why the Government’s child protection reforms matter for disabled children
- Have your say on the future of transport for disabled children and young people
- Unison voices major concerns over SEND reform health plans for sick and disabled children out of school in the EOTAS consultation
- Top Tips for the EOTAS & EHCP consultation: Protect your child’s rights to statutory SEND support
- Navigating constraints: Why a former PCF chair thinks the current model is missing the mark for families
- Dear Secretary of State for Education, Lucy Powell: an Open Letter from Special Needs Jungle and SEND legal charity SOS!SEN
- Research: Disabled young people define inclusive education as “learning in the place that’s right for them”
- Why my daughter’s SEND experience means we’ll take this consultation judicial review fight wherever it needs to go
- Legal challenge launched against government SEND proposals that “significantly weaken the legal rights of children and young people”
- The law on SEND HAS NOT changed! But restricting EHCPs would be legally-sanctioned gatekeeping and a decimation of rights
- Why the Human Rights Act matters when advocating for your child with SEND
- Why legal aid may now be available for SEND families challenging school exclusions
- When the LA wants to cease to maintain an EHCP: The law and some top tips
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- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals - September 3, 2026
- From suspicion to support: why the Government’s child protection reforms matter for disabled children - August 28, 2026
- Have your say on the future of transport for disabled children and young people - August 25, 2026
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