REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore hosted a cross-party roundtable meeting in Parliament to tackle the ongoing crisis in Worcestershire’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.
The meeting brought together parent-carer representatives and five of the county’s six MPs, following a second consecutive failed Ofsted and CQC inspection which rated local services at the lowest possible level.
Representatives from SEND National Crisis Worcestershire and North Worcestershire Autism Parents Support Group travelled to Westminster to share their lived experiences with MPs.
Mr Bloore was joined by MP for West Worcestershire Harriet Baldwin, Droitwich and Evesham MP Nigel Huddleston, Bromsgrove MP Bradley Thomas and Worcester MP Tom Collins in a rare moment of cross-party unity.
The meeting was held in direct response to the April 2024 Ofsted and CQC joint report into Worcestershire’s SEND Local Area Partnership, which cited ‘widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND’.
Parent-carers Tracy Winchester, Dr Karen Nokes, Susan Tracey, Dawn Styles and Carrie Whitehouse detailed the severe challenges families face – from prolonged delays in accessing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), to inadequate placements, communication breakdowns and a lack of accountability from decision-makers.
Tracy Winchester, speaking on behalf of both parent-carer organisations, said: “This has seen a great move towards further scrutiny and accountability of our failing SEND services. “We look forward to working collectively with our Worcestershire MPs to get some real improvements happening in SEND for our children and young people.
“After our Parent Carer Forum are not able to meaningfully coproduce as they should, and we are ‘drown’ in plans but not seeing any actual, meaningful improvement, we knew we needed to do something different, and something that met the significance and magnitude of the level of failure occurring.
“The meeting was positive and the Worcestershire MPs listened and seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.
“We hope they will join us in working together to seek the changes to SEND services that are so desperately needed.
“The ‘stalemate’ cannot continue. Too many of our children’s futures are in jeopardy as it stands.”
During the meeting, the five MPs heard, first-hand, passionate testimony from parent-carers, of real and frequently ‘heart-breaking’ experiences of education, health and social care services in Worcestershire.
Also, all present agreed to come together again and continue to seek answers and accountability for SEND services.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Bloore said: “SEND services in Worcestershire have been failing families for far too long.
“The meeting was a critical opportunity to bring MPs together across party lines to listen directly to the voices of parent-carers and demand meaningful change. I’m incredibly grateful to those families who came to Parliament to speak so powerfully about their experiences.
“It’s clear from what we heard that despite improvement plans and ministerial oversight, children across Worcestershire are still being let down.
“We must move beyond warm words – families need to see real, lasting change on the ground.”
The MPs committed to continuing their cross-party work, increasing scrutiny of Worcestershire’s SEND Local Area Partnership and ensuring families remain at the centre of all efforts to reform the system.
