Jess Brown-Fuller urges Prime Minister to consider a national body to fix SEND crisis in Chichester

emilylovell6
Jul 10
2 min read

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Jess Brown-Fuller has today called on the Prime Minister to address the crisis in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision, urging him to consider the Liberal Democrat proposal for a national body to ensure fair and consistent support for children across the country.

Jess highlighted the urgent issues facing families in Chichester, following a recent roundtable she hosted with local headteachers and SENDCOs. Jess also drew attention to the increasing number of parents contacting her because their children still don’t have a school place for September, due to a severe shortage of spaces outside mainstream settings.

In the House of Commons, Jess told the Prime Minister:

“On Friday, I met with headteachers and SENDCOs in my constituency of Chichester.”

They all told me the same thing - that the current SEND system is broken, adversarial and is failing an entire generation of children.

Parents are at breaking point, with too few places available in special schools and an EHCP process that is long, harrowing and degrading.

So, isn't it time the Prime Minister listened to the Liberal Democrats calls to end the postcode lottery and provide consistency via a national body for SEND?”

Following the exchange, Jess added:

“Since being elected, I’ve heard repeatedly from families across West Sussex about the deep failings in SEND provision. Delivery of EHCPs remains pitifully slow, and children are being denied the support they need to thrive.

“Last week’s roundtable gave me the chance to hear directly from the teachers trying to navigate this broken system. Their concerns mirror those of parents; the current approach simply isn’t working.

“That’s why I raised this with the Prime Minister. We need a national strategy, backed by a national body, to ensure that every child, regardless of postcode, receives the support they deserve. Right now, we’re failing our most vulnerable children.”