Support for SEND

03/06/2026

😆

End of year report.
Bridget Phillipson 2025-26

Maths WTS

Since Bridget joined in 2024 I'm afraid to say she has not covered herself in glory. She is apt to promise big and deliver small. Bridget also seems to have a somewhat sketchy grip on how many teachers there are, how many more need to be found and the fact that fully trained and qualified staff simply cannot be pulled out of thin air at her say so. Bridget still needs support in terms of her understanding of money and the value of money. When she announced a 4% pay award for teachers in England, the government provided a £615 million investment, but schools were still required to fund the remaining 25% from their existing budgets. Suggesting ‘efficiency saving’ to schools already poking around under cabinets for pencils showed a certain lack of understanding of the current state of school budgets.

English

Speaking. WTS
Bridget loves a chat, as shown by some very recent social media posts. Unfortunately, she hasn’t always made wise choices when choosing who to speak to. She could do with spending a little more time having longer conversations with those working in schools rather than those who don’t.
Listening WTS
Again, Bridget needs to listen to all she has been told. By school staff, by children, by parents and she needs to listen and do what is asked of her. Nodding your head and then ploughing on with whatever you had already planned to do is not active listening.
Writing WTS
Bridget has worked hard writing Every Child Achieving and Thriving, which outlines major reforms to the education system and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.
Unfortunately, there are several issues with the white paper that have arisen. While intended to drive a generational shift, critics and stakeholders have highlighted several key problems and concerns with this particular piece of writing,
* EHCP threshold changes,
* Severe funding deficits,
* Specialist practitioner shortages,
* Adversarial system legacy remains.
Bridget has tried hard to create a balanced white paper but again her poor listening skills have not helped her here.

General comments
Bridget has tried so hard this year but just keeps missing the mark. In addition to the furore over the recent DfE social media posts, she has faced severe criticism from over 300 academics and free-speech campaigners for delaying legally enshrined complaints systems that were intended to protect academics from 'cancel culture'.
We have already looked at the issues over the SEND white paper in this report, so I won’t repeat myself here.
Despite her pledges to recruit thousands of expert teachers, unions and school leaders have continued to press her department for concrete solutions and funding to address deep-rooted workload pressures and poor teacher retention.
I am certain that improving her active listening and then actioning those responses she hears rather than ploughing on with her own ideas would be a good place to start. I’d also suggest she makes time for some work experience in a school. A half term placement should clarify things I think.

Mrs Smith
©June2026



If you don’t already follow Mrs Smith, please consider doing so. Thank you.

02/06/2026

At nearly 42 years old, the accomplishment that I remain the most proud of, in my life, is having fought for - and received - an apology for my child over the way that they were treated whilst under CAMHS!

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Now, I'll preface this by saying that it's not my intention to put anybody off seeking support for their child, from CAMHS - I have heard recounts, from parents and carers that I support, of chosen [CAMHS'] treatment having a positive impact on their own child's mental health - the treatment approach chosen for my child simply did not have a positive impact on their mental health and, actually, I'd go as far as to say that the impact, of this particualr treatment approach, on my child's mental health, was detrimental.

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So, after, initially, expressing my feelings, about my child's treatment, verbally - but, sadly, that falling on deaf ears; I put my fingers to the keyboard and typed out page after page as to how I, firmly, believed that CAMHS policies and practice had failed my child and would, likely, fail other children in the future, too.

And this was not easy. Putting my thoughts on paper has never been a strength of my mine, and I'm not ashamed to admit that composing this formal complaint took me many weeks, rather than just days.

However, months and months (of back and forth) down the line and acceptance of failure and an apology from a CAMHS representative was, finally, received, and reassurance that my complaint would influence future CAMHS decisions and practice, was, eventually, given.

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But, would I advise every parent carer to complain if they felt that their child had not received the correct level of care and/or treatment approach?

Well, as proud as I am that I stood up for my child - and, hopefully, many other children, as well - I am realistic that the complaints procedure was incredibly stressful and it definitely took a heck of a lot out of me.

So, although in an ideal world everybody would formally complain about substandard levels of care so that that pressure sped up change; in the real world, and particuarly with caring duties, I would certainly be honest about the toll, making a complaint, can have on a parent.

31/05/2026

🔥 WELL… YOU ASKED, SO I’M GOING FOR IT!

Please remember, I am just one woman trying my best. 💜 If I’ve missed your message, keep nudging me. I promise I’m not ignoring anyone – I’m just trying to keep up with all your amazing ideas!

I was going to spend longer planning this, but honestly? The excitement from all of you has made my mind up.

So here’s my starting point…

💜 Girls Hub
📅 15th June
Ages 9–15

💜 Allies Hub
📅 16th June
Ages 9–16

💜 Young Adults Hub
📅 17th June
Ages 16+

🐴 Heart & Hoof Care Farm will be joining us every evening from 5pm–6pm.
All hubs will be one hour to start with!! ( I still need to work my day job, be a mum and sleep haha) also how long should they be?

💷 £5 per person
💷 £1 for parents, carers and support staff

The reason for Allies Hub is simple…

Not everyone fits neatly into a box.
Not everyone feels comfortable in a girls group.
Some people just want to turn up and be themselves.

And that’s absolutely okay here. 💜

Now for the honest bit…

We don’t have a giant marquee yet, so if the weather decides not to play nicely, we may need to be flexible. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s the reality of a small community project that’s growing one step at a time.

Could I hire an indoor space? Yes.

But it wouldn’t be Sentry Circle.

It wouldn’t be the fresh air, the nature, the freedom, the calm, or the magic that so many of you have already fallen in love with.

A huge thank you to Derek for allowing us to use this beautiful space, and to Heart & Hoof for supporting these sessions. Without people like them, Autism Support Allies simply couldn’t do what it does.

So before I spend weeks overthinking this…

Is this a good place to start? 💜👇

Bookable on our website when Jazmine Andrew manages to have to time to update the website, which is found in our links section.

Thank you so much for believing in me!

Goodnight.
Melinda x

31/05/2026

Standing with other wonderful SEND advocates and (metaphorically) voting with my feet!!!
Share if you feel the same!!!

29/05/2026

Recently, my child and I went to the doctors.

The doctor had not read my child's notes so did not know that my child is autistic.

The doctor was behind schedule and was somewhat short and sharp about why we were mentioning several concerns in one appointment.

When I explained to the dr that my child is autistic and we wanted to rule out that, collectively, symptoms weren't adding up to a comorbid condition, the drs approach changed.

Suddenly, the dr was 'reasonably adjusting' their practice'.

The appointment ended well, in the respect that my child now has a specific referral to explore things further; however, my child was upset at the dr's abruptness and that will put them off going back to the surgery for a long time.

We have since written a Health and Care Passport, to avoid this happening again.

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In contrast, I went to a group event recently.

The group leader asked all participants if they felt comfortable in the room.

One lady said the lighting was too bright, so they group leader dimmed the switch, a little.

The group leader asked if everyone was ok with the pace at which she was talking.

The same lady said yes but politely requested that somebody make brief notes as the leader talked, to aid her working memory difficulties.

I said I'd do that.

To all other check-ins, everybody in the room was ok.

The lady who received a couple of reasonable adjustments fed back that she had enjoyed the session and said, "See you next time!"

29/05/2026

Linking on perfectly from Rory Bremner's Times article (that I posted about yesterday) here's Michaela from Spilling the Tea on Autism and ADHD clearly explaining how, unless we get it right for children from the beginning, the number of young people NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) will continue to rise!!!

Good morning everyone. So you would have seen the government now freaking out about NEETS.

It’s all well and good talking about reforming benefits, pushing young people into work, and “fixing” economic inactivity. But none of this is going to work unless we also talk honestly about the complete collapse of the systems that are supposed to support people before they ever reach crisis point.

You cannot force people into employment while healthcare is crumbling around them.

You cannot cut support while children wait years for assessments, years for CAMHS, years for therapy, years for EHCPs, years for specialist placements, years for someone anyone to actually listen.

By the time support arrives, many young people are already burnt out, traumatised, chronically anxious, suicidal, unable to access education, or completely disengaged from a system that has failed them repeatedly since early childhood.

And then society turns around and asks:
“Why aren’t they working?”

This isn’t a generation of children who simply decided they “can’t be bothered.”
This is a generation being failed systemically from day one.
The statistics are there. The evidence is there. Parents, teachers, professionals, disabled people, neurodivergent people we have all been screaming this from the rooftops for years.

Early intervention matters,
Proper support matters,
Appropriate education settings matter and
Accessible healthcare matters.

Children who are supported properly from a young age go on to thrive. They become adults who contribute to society in ways that work for them. With the right environment, the right understanding, and the right help, children can achieve incredible things.

But instead, we are still trying to force every child through the exact same system and acting shocked when huge numbers fall apart under the pressure.

Children work differently from one another. That is normal. That is human. But instead of building systems flexible enough to support those differences, we punish children for struggling within environments that were never designed for them in the first place.

And then we create another barrier…
employers who will not even give young people a chance if they were excluded from school, struggled with attendance, or left education without GCSEs. Maybe Gove can explain how his changes to the curriculum really stuffed some kids chances from the get go?! Not that Labour seem to have any idea about the curriculum either, judging by their proposals.

How many incredible young people are written off before they even reach adulthood because their CV reflects survival rather than potential?
If we truly want young people in work, then opportunities have to exist beyond perfect attendance certificates and exam results. People deserve second chances. Third chances. Real chances in life!

Where is the investment in training?
Where is the mentoring?
Where are the supported apprenticeships?
Where are the employers willing to say:
“Okay, this young person has had a difficult start, how do we help them succeed here?”

Because support does not end when school does.A good employer can completely change the trajectory of somebody’s life. Sometimes all it takes is one person willing to believe in them, offer flexibility, provide training, and create an environment where they feel safe enough to show up and grow.

We talk constantly about incentives for getting people off benefits, but rarely about incentivising employers to take chances on young people who have been failed by the system already.

How do we help them build confidence?
How do we make workplaces accessible?
How do we support young people to want to engage, to feel valued, to embrace opportunities instead of fearing yet another environment where they will fail?

Because right now, we are watching the consequences unfold in real time.

Rising NEET figures.
Rising mental health crises.
Rising disability claims.
Rising numbers of young people unable to cope.

This is not happening in isolation.
It is the direct result of years of underfunded schools, inaccessible healthcare, impossible waiting lists, lack of specialist provision, and a society that waits until children are in absolute crisis before offering help.

Mental health support for children is nowhere near adequate. Young people need more than an app notification asking if they are okay while they are actively trying to survive unbearable distress. Families need real support, real intervention, and timely care. Providing post 16 settings that support children, and not removing transport for this, so children and young people can access the settings that let’s face it there are not enough of!

And taking away benefits will not magically create healthy people, it will create a homelessness crisis, more mental health issues that’s even deeper than the one we already have.

Nobody chooses to become unwell.
Nobody chooses disability.
Nobody chooses burnout, trauma, panic attacks, or chronic mental ill health.

If healthcare and education actually worked together properly, if children were identified early, supported properly, educated appropriately, and treated in time how many of these young people would now be in work, in training, in higher education, or simply living fuller lives?

We keep talking about the cost of supporting people once they reach crisis. But we refuse to talk about the cost of abandoning them long before they got here.

Michaela

Spilling the Tea on Autism and ADHD
Fight School FinesNational Education UnionJenn Hodge - Doing Education DifferentlyLizz MearsMichael CharlesThe ND SEND SpecialistsThe Long Road - a Diary of a SEND MumSend Family MagicSarah JaneEvery Child Matters UKDPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts)Chris Hinchliff MPLib Dem Chris Coghlan for Dorking and HorleyADHD Wise UKNathan HowardFix the Children's Wellbeing and Schools ActThe Autistic SENCOPatience for parent/carers
NEU General Secretary: Daniel KebedeSEDSConnectiveSpectrum Support

28/05/2026

This!

We need to move away from the narrative of “just say no”, “tell them to stop” or “strengthen your boundaries” as simple solutions.

Parental figures have often already said and tried different approaches long before they reach out for support...

Instead, we need to take a moment to really place ourselves within the reality of what many families are experiencing.

We know these kinds of responses don’t only come from professionals. Parents, carers and guardians often tell us they hear this from friends, family members and those closest to them too.

But this is where listening without judgement becomes so important.

Because when we reduce it to “just say no” we risk reinforcing a parent-blaming narrative, minimising what has been tried by many parental figures already.

28/05/2026

Here's Rory Bremner, rightly, highlighting how the proposed SEND reforms are but smoke and mirrors.

'Recently, the government confirmed that it is pressing ahead with what it calls generational reform of the Send system in the Education For All bill. While the ambition sounds laudable and well-meaning, it is the detail that causes great concern for parents of children with the most severe Send requirements.
Another £4 billion is promised for Send. The money is welcome but if the new system is built on the wrong assumptions it will not save money; it will waste lives. Take the mantra of inclusion. On paper it sounds noble. But to place a child with complex autism or ADHD into a mainstream school, even within a dedicated Send hub, is to expose them to a triggering sensory assault of anxiety, jostling crowds, bullying and stigma. Well-meaning in principle, the policy risks damaging and long-lasting consequences for the vulnerable child and their classmates alike.'

- Rory Bremner, The Times

27/05/2026

I was walking the dog, on a country lane, earlier this evening and automatically said and SIGNED, "Look. There's a bunny!!!" ... to the dog.

Enthusiastic intonnation and all!!!

Early night, definitely needed here! 🤭🥴

(even with the dog!)

27/05/2026