Yesterday Special Needs Jungle facilitated a webinar with the SEND Minister, Will Quince MP, ahead of the publication of the SEND Review. We joined with the NNPCF, Contact, and Family Fund as parent carers asked searching questions of the Minister on a wide range of topics.
No one expected Mr Quince to reveal the content of the Green Paper, due this month, but as a first exercise in engagement it was interesting to contrast this with the previous reforms starting in 2012. This time round, parents are more knowledgeable, more vocal, more cynical, and, unsurprisingly, a hell of a lot more angry.
The good news is that unlike all his predecessors since Ed Timpson, Mr Quince appears to be willing to speak to parents openly and seems to have a genuine desire to help disabled children, young people and parents/carers. Nevertheless, he admitted that parents are not likely to get everything they want because, no matter how good his intentions, there are many others holding purse strings and power who have other priorities.
The video is below, subtitles will be automatically generated. If you fancy helping clean them up for us, give us a shout.
SEND Review webinar
Direct link: https://youtu.be/M0R7MG8VI7s
Your thoughts
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Future engagement
We have gained a pledge from Mr Quince for another collaborative webinar as part of the consultation process, so watch this space. When it arrives, we will help you through the consultation by breaking down the Green Paper into chunks and explaining the implications. If you're an expert in SEND and want to help us, get in touch.
Also read:
- Brian Lamb: Will the SEND Review Green Paper deliver lasting improvements for disabled children and families?
- SEND Review: Fait accompli or a real chance for parents and practitioners to shape policy?
- Why the SEND Review MUST extend EHCPs to disabled students in higher education
- Disability, the Equality Act and the SEND Review
- Councils wasted £253 million fighting parents at the SEND Tribunal since 2014 reforms
- The Government must act to reduce the stark inequalities in disabled children’s health and care
- How will the SEND Review create sustainable support that’s also value for money?
- It’s not just SEND teacher training that’s needed. How we educate all children is broken
- Dear Will Quince, welcome to SEND…here’s 10 of your top priorities
- Mr Zahawi: Publish the SEND Review—but make sure it solves the RIGHT problem
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Previously Renata has been at the forefront of successfully changing government policy so interventions are needs-led and no longer diagnosis-led, and creating the world’s first specialist nurse for undiagnosed children at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
She also helped establish and grow the first online support community for families of undiagnosed children and spearheaded the very first undiagnosed children’s awareness day, including producing information videos that were shown in parliament.
She is a regular speaker on TV and at events, is an RSA Fellow and the mother of three children with disabilities, two of whom have complex needs and one of whom also has complex medical needs.
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