Our charity has responded to a new report published today by the Public Accounts Committee on support for children and young people in the SEND system.

The report highlights how the system is failing the families who need it, and putting almost half of all councils in England in danger of bankruptcy, with an urgent call to the Government to take action. 
 

Our response

Joey Nettleton Burrows, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the National Autistic Society, said: “This damning report makes clear the dire situation for the SEND system. Children and families are being failed and councils face massive financial risk. It’s extremely concerning that, despite years of warnings, the Department for Education has failed to understand and act on this crisis.

"Many children can’t get the help and adjustments they need and miss out on years of education. Families are forced to spend time and energy fighting long battles to get support for their children, often to the point of tribunals, 99% of which find in favour of the family.

"Enough is enough. This Government must take immediate action, commit to all the recommendations in the report and set out a plan to end the SEND crisis."