Sir Ed Davey has warned ministers that Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) reform is the “last chance saloon” for the Government.
Speaking at a rally for Send parents on Monday, Sir Ed said he was concerned that forthcoming Government reforms to the system would not meet the needs of children.
“There’s lots of opportunity for reform, but I am really worried that the reform that we might get offered won’t meet the needs of our children and young people, and so we’ve got to monitor this Government like never before,” he said.
“We’ve seen them promise a lot and then not deliver.
“And what I’d say to Keir Starmer, Bridget Phillipson and Government is, ‘this is the last chance saloon for you – get this wrong and you’re out’.”
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson told reporters that getting Send reform wrong “could be the final nail in the coffin for Starmer”.
The Government will set out how it will reform the Send system in the Schools White Paper later this year.
Later, MPs debated a petition with more than 120,000 signatures calling for children with Send to retain their legal right to assessment and support in education.
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are legal documents for children and young people up to the age of 25 which identify their educational, health and social needs, and set out the extra support required.
There have been concerns that EHCPs may be cut under the Government reforms.
Sir Ed said the current system did not work well enough for children, who faced long delays in assessment, and for those who managed to get an EHCP, the support set out was not always delivered on – but parents “don’t want to lose the rights for our children and young people such as they are now”.
Ms Wilson said there needed to be “a fundamental review of how the whole system works before you think about removing any rights”.
Sir Ed wrote to the Prime Minister in July, urging him to listen to children and families in the reforms. He also wrote that more special schools were needed, that mainstream provision must be improved, and that identification of Send needs must happen much earlier.
“When a child or young person has special needs that are quite expensive, the Treasury should be paying,” Sir Ed said.
“National Government should be paying, because that’s too much often on a local authority.
“And what that means is, the local authority becomes quite hostile with other parents, as they always try to save money.
“Let the Treasury cough up so local authorities can work with their local families and their local communities to get a much better relationship with you and make sure your needs and your child’s needs are being properly met.”
Local authorities have been facing spiralling high-needs deficits due to Send spending, which are projected to reach £5 billon next year.
Commenting on the petition, NAHT school leaders’ union general secretary Paul Whiteman said the best way for the Government to reduce demand for statutory support would be to invest in identifying needs as soon as possible.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “We inherited a system on its knees, forcing families to fight for every scrap of support.
“That’s why we are listening to parents and taking action — investing £1 billion into Send and £750 million in specialist school places, rolling out a new inclusion-centred training curriculum, and improving early intervention for ADHD, autism and speech and language needs.
“But in a system so broken, there is much more to do. Our consistent engagement with parents shows there are elements of EHCPs that they value, but that we need to call time on the battles to access support and bureaucracy that too many of them continue to face.
“Our full plans will be set out in the coming months, shaped with the families who have been let down for too long – working alongside us to deliver the outcomes these children deserve.”
Responding to a petition calling for children with Send to retain their legal right to assessment and support, education minister Georgia Gould told a Westminster Hall debate that families have been “badly let down by the system”.
She reassured MPs and parents who came to Parliament to watch the debate: “Under this Government, no child will be left behind and we will reform the system so children with special educational needs are at the heart of the education system.
“And there will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with special educational needs.”
The minister vowed to listen to children, young people and their families, to promote early intervention, to invest in support within communities, and to provide support in places outside of the school environment.
Ms Gould concluded: “My commitment is, as we move forward, that we need to work with the parents who have turned up, the parents who have signed the petition, to get this right for families and to set out reforms that really transform people’s lives.”
