West Sussex MPs demand urgent clarity on SEND support

Liberal Democrat MPs in West Sussex have written to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, urging the government to provide clarity about the future of support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  

West Sussex Liberal Democrat MPs have written a joint letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson demanding urgent clarity on the future of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision following serious concerns raised by families across the county.  

The letter, signed by  Jess Brown-Fuller MP (Chichester), John Milne MP (Horsham), and Alison Bennett MP (Mid Sussex), comes amid growing concerns about the lack of SEND provision for children in West Sussex.   

Local families and organisations have expressed concerns about the recent public remarks from government advisers that Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) may in future be reserved only for pupils attending special schools and that the government might be moving away from the term "SEND" altogether.   

These comments have caused anxiety among local families who rely on EHCPs to secure essential support for their children in mainstream settings, particularly given the already challenging landscape for SEND provision in West Sussex. The county council is currently processing just 14.3% of EHCP claims within the statutory 20-week timeframe, with families facing an average wait of 38 weeks for assessments.  

In their letter to the Education Secretary, the MPs have requested specific assurances that EHCPs will remain accessible to all children who need them regardless of school type, that mental health support expansion will consider SEND needs, and that families will be meaningfully involved in any reforms.  

Jess said:

‘Parents and children in Chichester have lost confidence in the SEND system, with families effectively pitted against each other and against Conservative-led West Sussex County Council. The rumours that EHCPs will not be provided for children who attend mainstream settings is just continuing to add to parents’ uncertainty. Families who rely on EHCPs to ensure that their children have the support they need will be rightly terrified at the consequences of such a development. We are calling on the Department of Education to provide clarity on this urgently.’