20/10/2025
HELP ME HELP THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
✍️ parental Impact Statement:
I am the parent and advocate for a young person with complex SEND needs whose educational journey has been repeatedly disrupted by systemic failures within Hillingdon Council’s SEND services. This statement outlines the emotional, educational, and procedural impact of those failures on my child and our family.
2. Emotional and Educational Harm
Despite statutory entitlements, my child has faced prolonged delays in receiving appropriate provision. These delays have caused:
Emotional distress, anxiety, and a sense of exclusion from peers
Missed educational milestones and regression in learning
A loss of trust in public systems meant to protect vulnerable children
3. Systemic Failures
The Council’s published strategy claims progress, yet our lived experience reflects:
Missed statutory deadlines for EHCPs and annual reviews
Inadequate consultation and disregard for parental input
Schools refusing placements despite having capacity, citing inability to meet needs
4. Contradictions with Published Strategy
While the 2023–2028 SEND & AP Strategy outlines ambitions for inclusion, early intervention, and co-production, our experience reveals:
A lack of meaningful co-production, with decisions made without our input
Delays in therapy access and assessments, despite claims of improvement
Disparities in mainstream inclusion, especially at secondary level
5. Impact on Family Life
The burden of advocacy has fallen entirely on me as a parent. I have had to:
Compile legal evidence bundles and pursue Tribunal action
Coordinate across agencies with little support
Sacrifice personal wellbeing to ensure my child’s rights are upheld, including deferring my degree
Call to Action 📣
I urge the Tribunal, government and all relevant bodies to:
Recognise the gap between policy and practice
Hold Hillingdon Council and all Councils who continue to fail SEN familles, accountable for procedural breaches
Ensure my child receives timely, appropriate provision without further delay
Anonymised Case References
These anonymised cases reflect patterns of systemic failure and underscore the urgent need for accountability and reform.
Case A: A young person with complex SEND needs experienced a 9-month delay in EHCP assessment, resulting in missed school placements and emotional distress.
Case B: A family reported repeated failures in therapy provision despite statutory deadlines, leading to Tribunal intervention.
Case C: An adolescent was denied appropriate secondary school placement due to capacity claims, later overturned after advocacy.
SEN Cases Upheld by Ombudsman
Several cases involving SEND failures have been upheld by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, highlighting systemic issues and the need for redress:
Case X: The Ombudsman found maladministration where a local authority failed to provide timely EHCP assessments, causing significant educational disruption.
Case Y: A complaint was upheld regarding inadequate consultation and failure to deliver agreed therapy services, resulting in recommendations for compensation and service improvements.
Case Z: The Ombudsman identified failures in placement decisions and poor communication, leading to formal apologies and mandated corrective actions.
These upheld cases demonstrate the Ombudsman's role in enforcing accountability and improving SEND service delivery.
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Case A: A young person with complex SEND needs experienced a 9-month delay in EHCP assessment, resulting in missed school placements and emotional distress.
Case B: A family reported repeated failures in therapy provision despite statutory deadlines, leading to Tribunal intervention.
Case C: An adolescent was denied appropriate secondary school placement due to capacity claims, later overturned after advocacy.
These anonymised cases reflect patterns of systemic failure and underscore the urgent need for accountability and reform.
7. Support Our Petition
To help drive systemic change and hold Hillingdon Council accountable, please support our petition demanding urgent improvements to SEND services. Your voice matters in securing the rights and wellbeing of children with SEND.
✍️ Sign the petition for automatic penalties:
👉 https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/740101
References
https://modgov.hillingdon.gov.uk/documents/s62583/Item+7.+SEND+AP+Strategy+update.pdf
https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/8050
SEND Family SupportSingle Parents Of Children With AutismAutism & ADHD Parent Support UK CIC
Figures show nearly all parents in England forced to go to SEND tribunal win, and the number of SEND tribunals has risen. The government should hold Local Authorities legally responsible for families' emotional distress, ensuring automatic penalties for those that miss statutory SEND deadlines.
