Maddie and I are still here and still fighting for the end to fines and prosecution for families of young people who can't attend school.

• But what do you do when you have taken your issue to the highest levels of government and been brushed off?
• When the Department for Education know full well what is happening and still talk about "support first"
• When affected families make up "10%" of unauthorised absences, and shockingly that just isn't enough to make those in power listen?

We've been thinking on this question (and there is more activity to come - watch this space) - but then along came SEND mum Jo Clayton, who has written a script for a short film to shine a light on this very issue.

Not only a script - Jo has the support of a film producer, Natalie Lauren, and they have teamed up to secure an unprecedented alliance of Professionals, Parents and Organisations who endorse the script - AND a BAFTA winning actress and Golden Globe Nominee to appear in it!

We need to get this film made, and there is a way to support the campaign through the team's kickstarter. We've supported it; can you?

More details and links below. Please do spread the word of their campaign and give them a follow, all support makes a difference.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natalielauren/unauthorised-absence?ref=5z4370

From Jo and Natalie:

"Unauthorised Absence" is a script for a short film written by SEND Mum Jo Clayton to shine a light on the immense pressure caused by inappropriate attendance fines on SEND families. The impact of these fines, as many will know all too well, is what drove a wedge between her and her daughter, the school, and the local authorities: catalysing what became an 8 year battle through the broken SEND system, in which she had to leave her job and become a full time parent-carer.

Through the powerful story of a single mum and her daughter, Unauthorised Absence will feel deeply familiar to many: humanising the battle to access statutory support, the entrapment in an underfunded education system that fails to recognise children’s needs, and exposing the disastrous impact of attendance fines. By putting a “truthful and accurate account” of these realities on screen, the film will go beyond headlines and statistics to foster real empathy and inspire action to reform attendance laws on a national scale.

Natalie, the film’s producer, and Jo have united an unprecedented alliance of Professionals, Parents, and Organisations alike. At time of writing, their script is endorsed by 40 of the countries leading Academics, Paediatricians, Educators and Lawyers, alongside existing Charities & Campaign Groups; all coming together to support the project. It’s an apolitical movement that will unite voices, amplify our message, and dispel the myth that talk about attendance is just about family holidays. 

With a BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee in the cast, what they need is to kickstart the production with donations from the community that demonstrates the "hunger and desire" for these stories to be told. If you are in a position to do so, please consider donating to their campaign. You will be an integral part of this project going from script to screen, and will be included in the entire process of making the film. Their ambition is bold: tour UK film festivals, be available online indefinitely and, ultimately, screen in Parliament. 

To find out more info, visit the campaign website on Kickstarter, or their pages on Facebook or Instagram -@unauthorisedabsencefilm 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natalielauren/unauthorised-absence?ref=5z4370