‘I had to give up my job to care for my blind child - I have no confidence in SEND reforms’

A mother of a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) said trying to get support for her son was ‘horrific’

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are worried they could see support reduced as the government consults on reform to the system, a new survey has found.

Children who need additional support in nursery, school or college currently access help through the SEND system, with their parents applying for an Education, Health and Care (EHCP) plan.

The government has indicated that it will be publishing its plans to reform the SEND system in the Schools White Paper, expected early this year.

The growth in EHCPs has meant spiralling spending for councils, and some have recommended legislative change to focus EHCPs on the highest need alone – which many SEND parents have raised concerns about.

Kimberly Hind, mother to five-year-old Harvey, who is deaf-blind, said they waited more than a year for his EHCP (Kimberly Hind/Sense)

Nearly half (47 per cent) of SEND parents are worried the changes will result in support being reduced, the survey by disability charity Sense found.

Kimberly Hind, mother to five-year-old Harvey, who is deaf-blind, said they waited more than a year for his EHCP.

In the meantime, he lost a space at a special school, and struggled attending a mainstream nursery that did not have the capacity to meet his needs.

He was getting extremely distressed about going into nursery, to the point Mrs Hind had to give up her job to focus on caring for him, leaving the family of five depending only her husband’s income and her carer’s allowance.

Harvey was finally able to start at a special school in September 2025 after getting his final EHCP in February.

Harvey was finally able to start at a special school in September 2025 after getting his final EHCP in February (Kimberly Hind/Sense)

Kimberly described the situation as “horrific”, and said: “I don’t feel confident at all about how the education system might change for disabled children – and this is from actual experience; it’s not just an opinion. You can change anything by law but the local authorities still won’t follow it. They don’t have the staff, the funding or the training.

“I’m nervous there might even be funding cuts. It is very worrying. I’m just relying on Harvey’s school to save him and make sure that, whatever happens, he keeps getting the educational support he needs.

She added: “I think those early years of education are so important and if disabled children with complex needs miss out on them it has an impact for a very, very long time, if not forever.”

The research from Sense found that half (50 per cent) of the parents surveyed said they are nervous about reforms, and nearly half (48 per cent) said it had been stressful to get the support they currently have in place.

Harvey lost a space at a special school while mother Kimberly waited for an EHCP (Kimberly Hind/Sense)

A SEND task force set up by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) previously found one in 14 young people waited longer than a year to be issued an EHCP in 2024.

Sense chief executive James Watson-O’Neill said: “A shocking number of children are being failed by a baffling and underfunded Send system. Too many are falling through the cracks – at the cost of their happiness, wellbeing and future life chances.

“So it’s little surprise that parents feel deep anxiety and distrust about the upcoming education reforms. If their children’s legal rights are weakened any further or there’s an attempt to cut spending, the consequences could be devastating.”

Education minister Georgia Gould has previously said there “will always be a legal right to additional support” for young people with SEND.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Through our national conversation, we've heard from so many families who have been failed by the SEND system - with parents fighting for support and rising demand meaning children’s needs are spiralling to crisis point.

“Our reforms will restore parents' trust by fixing what isn’t working in the system. We’re ending the postcode lottery by strengthening support for those who need it and protecting parents’ rights – shaped directly by the views and experiences of those who know the system best.

"We are laying the groundwork for an inclusive education system where children are supported at the earliest stage and can thrive in a school that meets their needs, close to home – including through £200 million to train all teachers on SEND and at least £3 billion to create 50,000 new specialist places.”