I wanted to share something significant that has happened since our last update.
Many of you will remember that a recent Freedom of Information response revealed that West Sussex County Council already had Selective Mutism training webinars created by the Educational Psychology Service — but these had never been shared with families, and many schools were unaware they existed.
This month, for the first time known to us, WSCC have included these Selective Mutism parts 1–4 webinars in their official SEND & Inclusion newsletter.
This is a positive step.
It means the council is now publicly acknowledging resources that were previously hidden from view.
However, it also highlights the wider issue at the heart of this petition:
Training alone is not a pathway.
Even with these webinars now being promoted, families in West Sussex still face:
• no commissioned service for Selective Mutism
• no referral route
• no escalation route
• no joined‑up support between health and education
• no accountability when children deteriorate
We continue to hear from parents whose children are being passed between services, rejected by CAMHS, or left without any support at all — even when anxiety escalates or generalises.
Many of these children are at crisis.
The fact that WSCC are now surfacing these materials after they were uncovered shows why transparency matters, and why this petition is so important.
We need a formal, documented, commissioned pathway so children are not left to fall through the gaps.
Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences, signed, and supported this campaign. Your voices are being heard, and they are driving real conversations at council and MP level.
We keep going — together.
If you could do one thing to support these children this week - please consider sharing the petition link in a Facebook group or WhatsApp chat and asking people to sign, together our voice is much louder, and much harder to ignore.
Thank you
💛 Jo