Thank you for signing our open letter to Bridget Phillipson calling for evidence-based SEND education reform. I'm writing with incredibly encouraging news and an urgent request for your help.

Our letter now has over 1,600 signatures from qualified clinical and educational psychologists across the UK. This represents an unprecedented level of professional concern about current education policy and the proposed SEND reforms.

Why We Need Your MP's Support Now
While 1,600+ professional signatures carry significant weight, we need our elected representatives to amplify our voice in Parliament. With government reforms expected this autumn, we have a narrow window to influence policy before decisions are made that could harm vulnerable children for years to come.

Many MPs genuinely don't understand the professional consensus against current approaches, or they're receiving conflicting advice from different sources. Your direct contact as both a constituent and a qualified professional can make a real difference.

What We're Asking You to Do
Please email your local MP this week asking them to support our open letter. Even a brief email from you as a constituent and professional can have significant impact.

Template Email to Your MP
Feel free to adapt this template to reflect your own experience and concerns:

 
Subject: Professional Concern: Please Support 1,600+ Psychologists' SEND Education Reform Letter

Dear [MP Name],

I am writing as both your constituent and a [clinical/educational] psychologist to ask for your support with an urgent issue affecting vulnerable children in our constituency and across the UK.

Over 1,600 qualified clinical and educational psychologists have now signed an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calling for evidence-based SEND education reform. This represents unprecedented professional concern about current education policy and proposed reforms.

As someone working directly with [children/families/schools] affected by these issues, I see daily how current approaches are failing our most vulnerable children. The proposed government reforms risk making things worse by removing legal protections before addressing the underlying problems in our education system.

Key points from our professional experience:

Current school environments often cannot support children with trauma histories or neurodivergence
Punitive behavior policies worsen outcomes for vulnerable children
Evidence-based trauma-informed approaches dramatically improve outcomes for all children
We need systemic education reform, not just more specialist provision
The open letter provides detailed evidence and recommendations for creating genuinely inclusive education that works for all children. I would be grateful if you could:

Support our open letter and the concerns raised by 1,600+ qualified professionals
Raise these issues directly with the Education Secretary
Ask why evidence-based professional recommendations are being ignored
Our children deserve education policies based on evidence, not ideology. I'm happy to discuss this further and provide additional information about the research supporting our recommendations.

The full open letter is available here: https://sites.google.com/theclinpsychgroup.com/education-letter/home

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your qualifications and workplace]
[Your address]
[Your contact details]

 
How to Find and Contact Your MP
Find your MP: https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

Most MPs prefer email contact: [firstname.lastname].mp@parliament.uk

Additional Ways to Help
If you can do more:

• Share our campaign on social media using #SENDEducationReform
• Mention the letter to colleagues who might want to sign
• If you have existing relationships with local politicians, use them
• Contact local education journalists or parent group.

Timeline and Next Steps
Government SEND reforms are expected this autumn. Every MP contact in the next 2-3 weeks could help build the pressure needed to ensure our professional voice is heard before crucial decisions are made.

We're also working on getting organisational endorsements from major professional bodies and children's charities. The combination of individual professional signatures and MP support could be powerful enough to influence policy.

Current Impact
Our campaign is already gaining attention:

Media coverage in education press
Interest from major children's charities
Growing awareness among parent advocacy groups
Professional organizations considering endorsement
Your MP contact adds another crucial layer to this pressure.

Thank You
Your signature was the first step. Now we need your voice as a constituent to reach the people who can actually change policy. Even 10 minutes to send that email could help protect thousands of vulnerable children from harmful policy decisions.

Together, we can ensure that education policy is based on evidence and professional expertise, not political expedience.

With gratitude and determination,

Dr Natasha Holden & Dr Hayley Smith
On behalf of 1,600+ Clinical and Educational Psychologists

Open Letter: https://sites.google.com/theclinpsychgroup.com/education-letter/home
Questions: natasha@theclinpsychgroup.com

 
P.S. If your MP responds positively, please let us know at natasha@theclinpsychgroup.com - we're tracking supporter MPs and will be coordinating further action with those who engage constructively with our concerns.