SEND reform, racism and inequities…”We’re drowning already”

A few weeks ago another long, convoluted government white paper came out. It laid out government proposed plans for Reforms to the SEND System and unless it directly affects you or your loved ones, it probably passed you by. Today we want to talk about the paper, and the experience of those at the intersection who are Black or Brown and have special educational needs. 

Any parent or carer of a SEND child can tell you that the system is broken, exhausting, and impossible to navigate. Even more so if you are also Black or Brown and have to contend with racism at every turn. Yet rather than putting families at ease, the white paper has led to anxiety among many. 

The main response from the SEND community is one of anxiety and concern. These ‘reforms’ are full of glaring gaps, issues are left unaddressed and that’s not to mention the proposed change to only allow those with undefined “complex needs” to get an ECHP… The general consensus is that these proposals will leave many children locked out of getting the support they need, leaving thousands of children and families vulnerable to having their rights stripped away.

The proposals weaken the ability of families to advocate for their child and to challenge decisions. If the paper went through as it is, tribunal powers will be reduced, parents will no longer be able to name a specific school, and annual ECHP reviews will be less frequent. Mental health, school transport, alternative provision arrangements, and the role of social care and health are all left unaddressed. Unsurprisingly, the inequalities faced by Black and Brown children with SEND and their families is completely ignored. The breakdown in the image below, from Adam Highcliffe’s X page says it all. 

“Black” children are only mentioned 4 times.

“White” children are referred to 37 times.

Behaviour is mentioned 66 times, unmet needs 3 times.

AI is mentioned 58 times, SEND rights mentioned only once.

Yet as laid out in a report by Black Child SEND as part of a project by Global Black Maternal Health, Black children are simultaneously more likely to be permanently excluded from school and more likely to enter the youth offending service with unaddressed SEND. Rooted in racist stereotypes about Black people and criminality, the behaviour of Black children is consistently interpreted as ‘naughty’ or ‘pathological’ rather than an indication of unmet needs. With this in mind, it’s deeply concerning that in the white paper, and in the response from campaigners and charities advocating for SEND children and families, there is little acknowledgement of the additional inequity Black and Brown children are experiencing.

To drive home the humanity of what it’s like navigating the SEND system, we’re ending on some words from one of our ARCtivists:

“My child is autistic with multiple additional needs. They’re also Black. As they’ve gotten older, I’ve watched people’s responses shift, from understanding smiles and ‘oh so cute!’ to frowns and puzzled stares. And it only gets worse when we step into the services and systems that are meant to be there to help us. All carer parents know that a tweak to a meticulously planned schedule is the difference between a bad week and a good one. Cuts to an already basic support network we’ve battled to access? That’s a bad month or year. We’ve seen it here in Cumbria already, short breaks services have been slashed, specialist school waiting lists with hundreds of children on them. SO MUCH ADMIN. All alongside full-time caring. We’re drowning as it is. The proposals in this white paper are driven by data, taglines, and an attempt to save money… not the daily reality of our families.  And for many of us, this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.”

Want to act? The 12 week consultation process ends on Monday 18 May and there is now an opportunity to shape the proposals here. You can also write to your MP, here’s a helpful template from IPSEA.