We’ve just reached 600 signatures, and I’m honestly overwhelmed. When this began, it was simply one parent trying to get help. Since the last update, so much has happened that it’s clear this is no longer one story — it’s a West Sussex story.
Media Coverage
The petition has now been featured in both the Sussex Express and the Littlehampton Gazette. Seeing this issue in the local press has helped so many families find the courage to say, “This is happening to us too.”
Freedom of Information Request
A Freedom of Information request has been submitted to understand what support, training, and pathways actually exist in West Sussex. Families deserve clarity, and this will help show where the gaps really are.
Submitted for Formal Scrutiny
The issue has now been formally submitted for scrutiny. I’ve asked West Sussex County Council to work with NHS Sussex ICB to create a shared pathway between education and health — something other areas already have, but West Sussex does not. Children here deserve the same.
MPs Now Involved
Since the last update, several MPs have contacted WSCC directly. Their letters show that this is being taken seriously at a local level, and that families’ voices are finally being heard.
Emails to NHS Sussex & the ICB
Emails have also been sent to NHS Sussex and the Integrated Care Board to highlight the impact this lack of support is having on children across the county.
💛 A Growing Community 💛
A small but steadily growing Facebook group — West Sussex Selective Mutism Support Hub — has formed. Families who once felt alone are now finding each other, sharing experiences, and realising they are part of something bigger.
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Why West Sussex Signatures Matter So Much
Every signature helps, but local signatures carry a different kind of weight. They show WSCC and NHS Sussex that this isn’t a distant issue — it’s happening in their schools, their communities, their towns.
Local voices make it impossible to dismiss this as a small or isolated problem.
The Power of One More Person
Reaching 600 signatures is incredible. But imagine the impact if everyone who has signed so far encouraged just one more person — a partner, a friend, a colleague, another parent at the school gate.
If each person brought just one more signature, the petition would double overnight.
That kind of community response is impossible to ignore.
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A Call to Professionals
If you are a professional with experience in anxiety‑based communication needs, Selective Mutism, or children’s mental health — and you would consider working with West Sussex families to help shape the skeleton of a proposed pathway — I would be incredibly grateful to hear from you (Joanna Stephenson).
Being able to put forward a clinician‑informed pathway for consideration could make a real difference. Even a small contribution of insight would mean so much.
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A Personal Thank‑You
I want to say a heartfelt thank‑you to everyone who has signed — especially those who signed in support of my child. Your kindness and solidarity mean more than I can put into words.
To the dedicated school staff who work with her every single day: thank you for showing up, for understanding her, and for giving her the safety she needs to be herself.
A huge thank you to the parents in our newly formed Facebook group - for speaking up, working together, taking action, submitting your stories and ideas - thank you so much - we are so much stronger together. Looking forward to meeting you soon 💛
And to everyone who has encouraged even one other person to sign — a partner, a friend, a colleague, another parent — you are the reason this petition has reached so many people. Your support is what keeps this moving forward.
Although I started this because of my child, I won’t stop because of so many others. No family should have to fight this alone.