Parents meet MPs to discuss provision for dispatch

A group of parents visit Westminster to raise awareness of special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Members of the West Northants Send Action group are meeting MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The campaign group was formed two years ago to raise awareness of what the group calls “failures” in the provision and treatment of families in the province.

West Northants Council has said it is working hard to deliver its Send Priority action plan.

The parents are meeting with some Labor and Conservative MPs for Northamptonshire.

Julie Heron has two daughters, both with multiple special educational needs, and said she is keen to explain her experiences on the ‘front line’ of care.

“The MPs need to be aware of the system,” she said.

“It’s not just a case of my child and today, this is the future taxpayer.”

The group will be given a tour of Parliament and will have the opportunity to sit in the public gallery for the Prime Minister’s questions.

‘Entire families are having a hard time’

Mum-of-three Joanne Cooleen says her youngest, Charlie, has been waiting for more than 18 months for an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

She hopes to raise awareness for children like her son.

“There are kids who fall through the cracks and don’t get picked up,” she said.

“We are looking for transparency about the EHCP process so that everyone involved can understand what is going on and what is happening.”

Jenny Crabb has three children and her eldest is on the autism path.

She said she also wanted to explain what it was like for families like hers.

“It’s not just the parent and the child who are struggling, it’s entire families, it affects every area of ​​your life,” she said.

She believed there needed to be more “accountability” – when local authorities processed applications – for the “timelines and quality of the plans given”.

West Northamptonshire Council said: “We are working hard to deliver our Send Priority action plan, and we have expanded our teams to increase capacity across the service while ensuring we maintain the quality of EHCPs.”

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