On a great scale LA's are effectively breaking the law on SEN, often without consequences, and without being held responsible. They routinely turn down eligible EHCP applications, presumably in the hopes parents won't appeal. They refuse to issue EHCPs despite the child meeting the legal threshold. They issue EHCP's that don't adhere to the regulations (eg. not specific enough) making them practically worthless. Scenarios like this, where LA's aren't acting in accordance with the law, are happening up and down the country on a daily basis. 

If a normal person doesn't stick to the law, we get fined, we get taken to court, we go to prison. If we break the law within our job capacity, we're fired before we can blink! But these people, these institutions, are allowed to break the laws put in place to protect the most vulnerable children over and over again, without any consequences. 

With this petition I want to raise awareness of this widespread issue, and also get the government to do something about it. This 'maladministration leading to injustice' shouldn't be so commonplace. There should be more accountability, more supervision, more scrutinisation. 

Currently, there are actions a parent can take when the LA is acting in an unlawful way (tribunal, ombudsman, judicial review) but these processes are long winded and difficult to access. Especially for tired, confused parents who are facing the reality of living with a child with additional needs, who isn't properly supported in their education. Because the less the LA, the schools, the services do, the more we as parents need to add to our load. There should be supervision and accountability from a higher level; it shouldn't be purely down the whether or not parents have the energy or the money to call the LA out when they don't do things properly. 

I'm a mum on a mission, not just for my own child but for the many, many beautiful children that are being failed, and who can't access the education they are legally entitled to. 

You can find more information about the SEN regulations on the IPSEA website. Thank you for reading.