SEND Reform: putting Children and Young People First Government Consultation
Local Area SEND Inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
SEND Voices RBWM submitted a response to the Government’s SEND Reform Consultation regarding proposed changes for children and young people with SEND. We hosted 2 coffee mornings and 3 online meetings (including evenings and a weekend). Our response was based on feedback from these sessions as well as the parent carer engagement meetings as part of the Partnership for the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project.
Our consultation response: Link >
We would like to hear more from parent carers to inform the work that is continuing around the SEND Reform. Although the consultation has ended, SEND Voices RBWM is still involved in developing the local area’s SEND Reform Plan and your views and lived experience feed into these plans. We appreciate that parent carers may have filled in the survey for the recent Local Area SEND Inspection by Ofsted and CQC, however, the forum can’t see these responses.
We know that the life of a parent carer is very busy, but your views are important to us. If would like to share your views and lived experience or would like to represent the collective views of parent carers in strategic meetings, please do get in touch.
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SEND Reform: from the NNPCF
Navigating the SEND system has felt like a battleground for too many families. Following the publication of the "Every Child Achieving and Thriving" Schools White Paper and SEND Reform consultation, the government intends to formalize the changes to focus on early intervention through Education for All Bill in the current parliamentary cycle.
As parent carers, how can we make our voices heard? While the SEND Reform consultation was officially closed in May 2026, lots of work on writing the secondary legislation and the exact statutory guidance is undergoing as we speak. Many of us have concerns about the new SEND Reform, it is vital to make sure local and national policymakers hear our lived experience.
We have gathered suggestions from the UK Parliament, The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) and others. Here are the most effective actions we could take today to ensure that:
Speak to Your Local MP: MPs are incredibly sensitive to local consensus. Write a concise, personalized letter or book a slot at their local surgery.
What to say:Share your child’s specific journey. Ask them directly how they intend to ensure the upcoming Education for All Bill protects parental right-to-appeal and guarantees that ISPs have legal teeth rather than just being "glorified school plans."
Engage Your Local Parent Carer Forum (PCF): Every local authority area in England has a PCF. They are the official bridge to local government and health builders. By joining, your individual feedback becomes part of the collective data used in statutory quarterly reviews with local SEND leads.
Target the Lead Member for Children’s Services: In your local council, there is an elected councillor responsible for education and SEND. Writing to them shifts the focus onto how your local authority plans to use its chunk of the new £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund.
Leverage National Charity Campaigns: Keep a close eye on organizations like IPSEA (Independent Providers of Special Education Advice), Special Needs Jungle, and the National Autistic Society. They frequently launch coordinated template letter campaigns and provide briefings ahead of key parliamentary debates on the Bill.