Today marks a significant step forward

I wanted to share an important development in our campaign.

West Sussex County Council has now confirmed that they will be holding a multi‑agency meeting specifically about selective mutism, parents have been invited into the room to speak directly to the services responsible for supporting our children.

This meeting will bring together:

• SEND & Inclusion Service
• Health services 
• Children and Young People’s Services
• Specialist Advisory Teaching Service
• Parents who have raised concerns

It will be overseen by the lead for the Specialist Advisory Teaching Service — the team that would ultimately be responsible for delivering any new selective mutism services or training. This means the right people will be at the table, and the right conversations can finally happen.

The purpose of the meeting is to:

• hear directly from families about their experiences
• understand the gaps in current support
• look at how services can work together
• agree the next steps to build a clearer, more consistent pathway

This is a significant shift, and it shows that the voices of families are finally being taken seriously.

Alongside this, with my MP Alison Griffiths, I am hopping to attend a follow‑up meeting with Minister Gould, which I hope will help raise awareness nationally. These children have been invisible for too long, and if this work leads to real change and awareness — either locally or nationally — it will be one of the proudest achievements of my life.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. Your signatures, your stories, and your encouragement are what opened these doors. We are now being invited in — and we will keep going.

💛 Joanna