Responding to the publication of the Education Select Committee’s report on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran MP said:
 
“Children with SEND have borne the brunt of the schools funding crisis. Teaching assistants and other support staff have been sacked. Meanwhile, parents struggle to get the support their child needs as schools, healthcare providers and local councils squabble over who should pay.
 
“The Conservatives have left local councils floundering. Councils cannot provide support on time and are unable to create the new specialist school places that some children with the most complex needs require.
 
“Liberal Democrats demand better for our children. We will give councils thousands of pounds a year extra for every child with the most complex needs, so they can deliver the support children deserve on time. And we will create a new National SEND Strategy, stopping councils from cutting corners and getting our public services to work together in the best interests of each child.”

Jackie Porter says,

“The waiting time for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is still too high- so many pupils wait longer than 6 months, and the backlog is growing as more 18-25 year olds apply. Autism assessment is behind the curve too. Not everything needs a name to allow a child to flourish, but often the whole process for the right to a fair education -and funding attached to that- feels like a battle. It shouldn’t; these are the most vulnerable children in our society. They need a helping hand through the gate, not a barrier to overcome.”