STOP the Proposed Children's and wellbeing bill

✉️ Write to Your MP: Protect the Legal Rights of Children and Young People with SEND

Recent media reports have suggested that the Government may be considering major changes to the SEND system in England – including proposals to restrict access to Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans or even remove them entirely. While no official policy announcement has been made, these reports are deeply alarming to families, professionals, and campaigners who understand just how critical these legal rights are.

At SEND EHCP.co.uk, we stand alongside families who are worried about what the future may hold. The current system isn’t perfect – in fact, far from it. But the solution is not to take away the very legal protections that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) rely on.

We’re urging you to take one powerful step: write to your MP and explain why this matters. Your voice can help ensure that decisions about SEND reform are shaped by the real-life experiences of children and young people – not political convenience or financial pressure.

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📜 Why This Matters

EHC plans are a legal entitlement under the Children and Families Act 2014. They exist to ensure that children and young people with complex needs receive the specialist education, therapies, and support they are legally entitled to.

Under Section 42 of the Act, local authorities must secure the provision set out in Section F of a child or young person’s EHCP. This is not optional, and it cannot be replaced with vague promises or delegated to overstretched schools without resources.

Any attempt to restrict access to EHCPs – for example, by limiting them to children in special schools – would likely violate:

The Children and Families Act 2014 (Sections 19–42)

The SEND Code of Practice (2015), which applies to all schools

The Equality Act 2010, particularly the duties to make reasonable adjustments and avoid disability discrimination

Removing or watering down these rights would not make children’s needs disappear – it would simply make it harder for them to get help.

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🗣 Your Voice Can Make a Difference

By writing to your MP, you help shift SEND reform in the right direction – one that improves implementation of the law, rather than undermining it.

We’ve created a template email to make it easy for you to get started. Whether you’re a parent, carer, professional or advocate, your personal experience is vital. MPs are elected to represent you – and when enough people speak up, they listen.

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✍️ How to Contact Your MP

1. Copy and paste the template letter below.

2. Add your personal details or experience where relevant.

3. Find your MP’s contact information here and send your message via email or post.

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📩 Template Letter to Your MP

Dear [Name of your MP],

I am writing to you as a constituent [and parent of a child or young person with special educational needs – if applicable] to express my dismay at recent reports in the media that the Government is considering restricting Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans to children who attend special schools, or even scrapping EHC plans entirely.

The system for supporting children and young people with SEND isn’t working as it should. I know this from my own experience [add brief details of your own experience if you think it’s relevant].

Ministers have made it clear that they believe the system needs to be reformed. But this shouldn’t mean removing children and young people’s statutory right to special educational provision and support that meets their needs and enables them to thrive and make progress.

There are many reasons why the number of children and young people who have an EHC plan is steadily increasing. One factor is that, in practice, it’s often the only way for a child or young person with SEND to get support with their education.

The idea of restricting EHC plans to children in special schools is at odds with the Government’s stated policy of increasing the number of children with SEND who are supported in mainstream schools. There are many children in mainstream schools [including my own child – if applicable] who are only able to be there because of the support provided through their EHC plan. It’s impossible to imagine schools being able to provide what every child needs through their own resources alone.

Media reports on what the Government may be planning cause huge anxiety to parents of children and young people with SEND [like me – if applicable].

I would be grateful for an assurance that you, as my MP, will oppose any reform of the SEND system that entails removing or diluting children and young people’s existing rights to support that meets their needs. The key to resolving the SEND crisis lies in finding a way to ensure that children and young people receive the provision and support the law says they should have – not in changing the law to reduce what is available, while their needs remain unchanged.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Postcode]

SEND EHCP.co.uk: Write to Your MP – Letter Template and Campaign Guide

✉️ Template Letter to Your MP

Instructions: Copy and paste this letter into an email or document. Edit sections in brackets to personalise it with your details and experience.

Subject: Please protect the rights of children and young people with SEND

Dear [Name of your MP],

I am writing to you as a constituent [and a parent/carer of a child with special educational needs and disabilities – if applicable] to express my deep concern about recent media reports suggesting the Government may be considering limiting Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans to children in special schools, or removing them altogether.

The current SEND system is far from perfect, but it is underpinned by crucial legal protections. Removing or restricting EHC plans would undermine children’s statutory rights and have devastating effects on families like mine.

[Insert a brief personal experience here if applicable – for example, how an EHCP has helped your child or why it's vital for your family.]

Children and young people with SEND have a legal right to the support they need to access education and reach their potential. This is set out in:

• The Children and Families Act 2014 (Sections 19-42),

• The SEND Code of Practice (2015),

• And the Equality Act 2010, which protects disabled children from discrimination and requires reasonable adjustments.

The idea of restricting EHC plans to children in special schools goes against the Government's own commitment to supporting inclusion in mainstream schools. Many children in mainstream settings [including my own child, if applicable] rely on their EHCP to access the support they need.

I urge you to oppose any reforms that would weaken or remove these essential rights. The solution to the current crisis lies in proper funding and implementation, not in stripping back the legal entitlements that protect vulnerable learners.

Please confirm that you will stand up for the rights of children and young people with SEND and oppose any reform that dilutes their existing legal protections.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name][Your Address or Postcode]

🌎 Quick Campaign Guide: How to Take Action

1. Find Your MPVisit: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commonsEnter your postcode to find your MP and their contact details.

2. Send Your LetterEmail your letter to your MP’s official parliamentary address (usually firstname.lastname.mp@parliament.uk), or post it if preferred.

3. Personalise Your StoryMPs are more likely to act

GOOD LUCK, STANDING STRONG TOGETHER ❤️