Nesil Caliskan, Member of Parliament for Barking, hosted almost 70 teachers, councillors and parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities for a SEND Coffee Morning on Saturday 10th May.
Attendees were invited to discuss their current experience of SEND provision in Barking & Dagenham, after the borough has seen a 72% increase in Education, Health & Care (EHC) Plans since 2019. EHC Plans are the tool used by councils, schools and the NHS to plan support for a child with SEND.
They were asked about the barriers they have faced, what support has worked well, and what improvements they wanted to see to help Nesil ensure every child in Barking has the support they need to thrive.
Speaking after the event, Nesil Caliskan MP said: “Every child has the right to the support they need to thrive, but clearly children with SEND are being let down by a system that is totally broken and isn’t working for anyone.
“It was great to hear from people’s lived experiences of the SEND system – I’d like to thank everyone for sharing their personal stories with me in such a supportive environment.
“We must improve SEND provision in Barking & Dagenham, so in the coming weeks I’m collating everything that I’ve heard so I can represent their views to government. If you’ve had experience with the SEND system, I’d love to hear from you.”
Feedback was recorded by Nesil who is writing a report about the SEND experience in Barking to present to the Government in the coming weeks.
