Cuts to special educational needs support could be “devastating” for families, a mother has warned, saying her son’s education, mental health and life, were saved by specialist help.
Renata Watts, 49, from Hertfordshire, had two children on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). She said the support plan turned around the life of her eldest son, Elliot, after he was left mentally unwell, isolated and unable to attend school due to a lack of tailored support.
EHCPs were introduced in 2014 to replace “statements” of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It brings together education, health and social care in one legally binding plan for young people under the age of 25, outlining the extra help they will be given to achieve their potential.
However, the government is reportedly considering an overhaul of the system, arguing too many children are being excluded from mainstream education.
“Without that EHCP, I’m not sure he’d still be here today,” Ms Watts, a foster carer and co-director of the disability advocacy group Special Needs Jungle, told The Independent. “His mental health dipped so badly I didn’t know what would happen.”
Elliot, who has autism and ADHD, started secondary school full of enthusiasm. But within months, his anxiety spiralled as specialist support was withdrawn despite clear evidence of his needs.
“The school said they wanted to let him show them what support he needed, so they removed everything, against all professional advice,” Ms Watts said.
“We had no legal power to stop them. He began coming home and just crying, having meltdowns, screaming and throwing things. He didn’t even understand why.”
He started to say he felt sick every morning and became so distressed that he began hiding under his bed to avoid going in.
“It got to the point where he wouldn’t even step onto the school grounds without feeling like he was going to throw up,” Ms Watts said.
“He was getting detention after detention for things that were clearly part of his disability. He couldn’t organise himself, which we’d already explained, but they punished him for not turning up to sessions or forgetting books.”
Ms Watts had to take the local authority to tribunal, spending over 100 hours preparing the case herself while caring for three children.
Once the EHCP was in place, giving her son a legal right to the support he needed, everything changed.
“From zero per cent attendance, he went to 100 per cent. He got three A*s at A-level. He’s just completed a master’s in computer security. He will go on to be a massive asset to the UK. All of that would’ve been lost without that legal duty to support him.”
Her younger son, Dominic, is in a wheelchair full time and has complex medical needs. She says his EHCP has been vital in helping schools understand how to support him safely.
“His EHCP made sure the school knew exactly what he needed, where to be careful, and how his health impacted his learning. He was in hospital for eight months and the plan meant he could transition seamlessly to the Great Ormond Street Hospital School. It’s a legal document you can pick up anywhere and know how to meet a child’s needs.”
The government has failed to rule out slashing ECHPs, with education minister Stephen Morgan insisting parents should have “absolutely” no fear that support for children with special needs or disabilities will be scaled back.
However, he could not guarantee that the current system of EHCPs would remain in place.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson also refused to rule out cuts to EHCP, but suggested children, families and schools would not lose any support.
In an open letter to the government, campaigners have said that without the documents in mainstream schools, “many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether”.
Ms Watts added: “This isn’t about resisting change. If Labour can improve inclusion in mainstream schools, brilliant, bring it on. But don’t do it by removing disabled children’s rights.”
The government plans to publish a white paper in the autumn detailing how it will reform support for Send.
