This is the greatest threat to children and schools in over a decade.
Together we can challenge this.
Read on for more, or skip to the end to join the alliance.
The SEND Rights Alliance is a newly-formed campaign and lobbying group, bringing together a wide range of organisations and individuals with one aim: to defend the rights of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We stand together as parents, educators and other stakeholders, against:
We know that existing groups will be planning their own action. The aim of the alliance is to:
We can achieve even more together.
Due to the increasing cost of the SEND system, there has been significant pressure on the government to amend legislation to reduce rights. Local authorities have been under-funded for a decade. Rather than advocate for the vulnerable children they are legally required to support, the Local Government Association has commissioned costly reports to justify reducing the rights of disabled children. They have used the media to divert attention away from the obvious cause, and have sought to blame parents and schools for the failure of the system. They have turned parents and schools against each other, making it more difficult for us to work together.
Not only are these actions morally bankrupt, they will not save councils from bankruptcy. Needs do not disappear when unmet. Only proper identification of needs, proper investment into services and effective early intervention will turn the tide on our failing SEND system.
Increasing the threshold for statutory assessment of children and young people with SEND would mean fewer children receive the help they need. Making it more difficult or impossible for parents to appeal unlawful decisions could give local authorities free rein to refuse to support any and all disabled children. This will affect their ability to access education and to meet their potential, negatively impacting the rest of their lives.
It would negatively affect schools, who'll be less able to support children with SEND, and this would negatively impact the school environment for all. It will have a profound impact on the costs of social care and benefits for generations. It is not only incredibly damaging - it is a false economy. The government has recently raised concerns around the number of young people who are reliant on benefits, but any reduction in SEND rights will only exacerbate this.
Forming an alliance with wide-ranging expertise will inform our campaigning and lobbying, and enable us to advocate for solutions that will be effective. We do not have the resources to lobby central government through expensive reports - we must use our lived experience and professional knowledge to fight back together.
We are working on a campaign to challenge the government's approach and the existing narratives around SEND. We are also planning a national protest in Summer 2025.
We know we must all come together to inform the government and the public of the dangers of legislative change. We reject the manufactured conflict created between parents, schools and professionals and we aim to show that we can co-produce a better system together without stripping rights from vulnerable people.
You can get as involved as you like, or just help support and promote our campaign.
If you're part of an organisation, we'll ask you to keep us updated on campaigns and actions you're planning so we can promote them. We'll also invite you to get involved in our national “Unite for SEND rights” campaign.
We'll ask for your input into our aims, we'll send out requests from journalists for input.
We will need a wide range of expertise to have the greatest impact. If you have knowledge of SEND law, experience in organising protests, writing press releases, social media, video production, animation, graphic design, project management or anything else, we would hugely value any contribution you can make.
Please complete the following form, as an individual or organisation, to join the alliance. We will arrange online meetings to work together, in focussed groups and larger groups, to find the best forward.
The threat to our vulnerable children, education and social care system is vast. Please join us to act now.
SEND Rights Alliance has been set up by Rachel Filmer. Rachel is the founder of BCP Alliance for Children and Schools, Stop Safety Valve and a contributor to Special Needs Jungle. She has disabled twin boys and is passionate about the legal rights of all disabled people.
This campaign was founded after discussions in our Stop Safety Valve action group about the need for a broader campaign against changes to legal rights. Many other SEND campaigners and groups have contributed to the development of this campaign.