Rumour about the government removing parents right to bring appeals to SEND tribunal

[Lyannaa]

Has anyone else heard this rumour and does anyone know if it's true??

I have heard this rumour, I saw it in a guardian article

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/03/ministers-plan-major-changes-to-send-education-in-england

Local authorities are lobbying for law changes to give them more control over Send costs by limiting parental rights to appeal over Send assessments, and reducing the powers of Send tribunals to direct how a child’s needs are provided for in the school system.

I'm very terrified 😢

That's disgusting. So many appeals go in the favour of parents that it proves the LA act illegally anyway.

What, if any, changes will be made hasn’t been released yet. Changes such as making mediation mandatory and using a tailored list of placements have been mooted previously but not amounted to anything, so I wouldn’t panic yet.

Ok, let's hope they don't abolish tribunals because atm it's the only way children can get any provision that meets need.

I've had 20 years of experience of an arrogant, stupid and hostile, bullying LA SEND department who thinks they can do whatever they like. They have arbitrary, illegal rules about statutory assessments. They repeatedly have to be told to follow the law.

There are complaints about the cost of independent specialist placements but if LAs had schools with spaces that can meet need, independent schools wouldn't even be ordered by tribunals.

There are quite a few rumours about SEN reform plans. I wrote to my MP, who replied with a stock response that didn't answer my questions. I'm not hopeful for the future tbh. The only reason my dd is now functioning again and attending school regularly is due to her having an ehcp in place. We were refused a needs assessment in the first instance and appealed. Until then, the school just kept telling us she was 'fine at school'. The Educational Psychologist disagreed.

Yes they say they are fine so they don't have to pay for anything. Meanwhile, the child's mental health goes south.

I doubt they will just remove EHCPs for children who have them already. I can't see how they could stop EHCPs altogether.

LA SEN departments are notoriously Hitler-like - no wonder they want more control!