Every Child Matters

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children. Nelson Mandela

The global Coronavirus pandemic is a real test of our society. How do we care for our most vulnerable? How do we ensure that no one is left behind? I believe that many of our children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have been neglected in the midst of this pandemic as others are prioritised. 

After my first week of homeschooling my 7 year old son and facing my own challenges, I reached out to a friend with two young children, the youngest of whom, Marigold 6, has a rare chromosome disorder. ‘How are you doing?’ I asked. Her answer brought tears to my eyes.  ‘Pretty awful in all honesty’ it began. ‘Marigold needs so much specialist input and I can’t give it to her. She desperately needs school, being at home doesn’t work for her, she is very frustrated and I am going mad.’

It made me question where her specialist input was. Marigold has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and has been attending mainstream school successfully for the last year and a half. As part of her EHCP she is legally entitled to 32.5 hours a week of dedicated one to one support. The school has provided resources in line with an adapted curriculum, but these require someone to fully engage at some times and it is a two working parent household. She has not received any direct one to one input so far, nor any explanation as to what is now happening with the dedicated resource in her plan. 

Whilst this initial period has been largely dealing with the shock of caring for a vulnerable child in the midst of a pandemic, her parents are now worried for the long term and how many more months at home will impact on her development. Alongside this Marigold has lost key members of her support team with no explanation as to why from the local authority (LA).

It has taken many requests and a formal escalation to the LA for the possibility of some kind of virtual input being considered.

I also checked in with my cousin. Her son, Jacob 8, also attends mainstream school and has an EHCP. Her message was equally distressing. She said ‘the frustration is unbearable at times!! Jacob doesn’t understand what’s going on, loves his school routine and the first two weeks ….at home with me Hannah was challenging.'

Jacob has a twin sister Hannah. Trying to settle Hannah into her new routine whilst settling Jacob was difficult. Jacob would not engage with any of his school work activities and was becoming a distraction for Hannah. My cousin took the initiative to reach out to Jacob's one to one support directly who provided a 5 minute video especially for Jacob. It made a huge difference seeing a familiar face from school who delivered a positive message. A face he could relate to from his school environment and a different voice to help him understand what is expected of him whilst at home brought him joy, helped him to settle and provided some respite. Requests were made for more online interaction.

No further online support has been provided yet.

So what is next for these families? Whilst this is an acute situation now it also highlights the regular struggles they go through every day. Being forgotten is the norm. They need immediate help and a legacy of more care and attention when we adjust to our new normal.

Part of the answer to this question for SEND children is simple. Let’s make sure that they are getting access to the provisions already paid for and allocated to them. Where are the specialist teachers who usually work with them? Can they provide online support or video contact? Even a regular phone call to talk with the child they usually care for. 

How are the schools and Local Education Authorities practically complying with their duty of care to these young people? 

The parents of SEND children I know are in a continuous struggle to get fair treatment for their children and access to their legal rights. I have watched them navigate a complex and challenging system, following up on issues, questioning every decision until they can get the legal rights due to their children. How do parents who are unable to do this cope? What happens to their children?

I spoke with James Betts of Irwin Mitchell, a solicitor specialising in this area. He confirmed that my friend's experiences reflected what he is seeing in his practice. Writing letters and emails to pursue action from the school and LA has produced some results, whether that is differentiated learning packages or online one to one support or even at home in person care after a risk assessment. It takes this level of correspondence to make things happen.

Not enough though has been put in ahead of time by too many.

Every child is entitled to an education and the responsibility for providing support for SEND children is enshrined under the Children and Families Act 2014. Local Authorities (LAs) not providing this education and support right now are in breach of their legal duties. The Coronavirus Act 2020 allows for the Secretary of State to provide an option for LAs to have more flexibility in discharging their duties, potentially relieving them of the obligation to provide support for our most vulnerable children at this time. 

We need to ensure that our MPs do not let that happen. This support must be positively and explicitly maintained and additional resources and funding provided to provide an education for these children and respite for their families.

How can you help? Please join our campaign and...

1. Call/contact anyone you know with a SEND child to see how they are. Encourage them to contact their school, SENCO and Local Authority to ask for the support they are legally entitled to. Click here for a template email/letter. https://bit.ly/SENDTemplate
2. Contact your local MP to ensure they are monitoring this issue and ensuring the legal rights are protected, including assessing any notices issued by the Secretary of State. Use https://www.writetothem.com/ to write to your MP using this template https://bit.ly/SENMPTemplateLetter
3. Not forget these children after the pandemic is over. Let’s continue to shine a light to ensure no child is forgotten ensuring adequate funding and easier processes are put in place. Share your stories #SENDchildrenmatter

In the midst of this pandemic let’s not forget these amazing children. Jacob is the best dancer and a real fan of singers Reggie and Bollie. Marigold is a great singer, signing along to Disney classics often with her Mum. They bring light and life to a room and have been thriving with the hard fought for help they’ve received. 

Let’s not have all of that go to waste and the progress unwound.