Jess Brown-Fuller uses petition debate to push for SEND reform in West Sussex

Chichester MP Jess Brown-Fuller has called for parents’ voices to be placed at the centre of efforts to address the SEND crisis, during a debate on an e-petition signed by more than 200 Chichester residents. The debate, held on Monday, was attended by over 70 MPs and lasted for three hours.

Jess raised the longstanding concerns about West Sussex County Council failure to complete Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) within the statutory 20-week period. The latest available quarterly statistics from March showed that only 14.3% of EHCPs were being completed within this timeframe. While this marked an improvement on the 2023 year-end figure of 3.6%, she emphasised that performance remains unacceptable.

Jess Brown-Fuller speaking in E-petition debate in Westminster Hall

Several MPs highlighted the difficulties parents face in securing the right school places for their children, which causes delays in their education. Jess also raised these issues, calling for earlier identification and for decisions to be correct the first time, to avoid lengthy appeals processes that further delay much-needed support.

After the debate Jess said:

“The crisis in SEND provision is still to be addressed by the Government, with us waiting to see the Government’s White Paper on the issue, but I was pleased to hear of the interactions with advocacy groups in the build-up to its publication.

Neurodivergence is not a weakness or flaw, with the right support it can be a superpower. But so many children across the county and in West Sussex have been let down by an adversarial system that pits parents against teachers.

I am pleased that West Sussex County Council has taken steps to start addressing the disgraceful wait times for EHCPs we saw a few years ago, but there is clearly still much work to be done. I will continue to hold the council and the Government to account until children with special needs are getting the support they deserve.”