Essex parents of children with SEN voice their election concerns

Trained teacher Hannah has three sons, two of whom have special educational needs.

“The laws surrounding SEN provision are there, it doesn’t need to be changed – it needs to be delivered,” she says. “What we are finding is that there is a complete and utter disregard for statutory guidelines.

“We are looking for MPs to hold local authorities to their legal duties.”

Hannah, who lives in west Essex, says she has had to stop working as a teacher because her eldest son has no been able to access school.

Other commitments she would like to see from politicians include increased mental health support across the board, but particularly for parents of SEN children, improved access to activities for SEN children and improved support for carers.

She says families of SEN children have been especially badly hit by the rising cost of living.

Two of her children have to eat special diets which has meant a “tripling” of the family’s weekly shopping bills in recent years.

“People often don’t realise just how reliant we are on things being right and running smoothly,” says Hannah. “We don’t feel the system at present is working for us.”

Both Alexandra and Hannah say their experiences navigating the SEN system have made them highly engaged voters.

“We are looking for anything that will help us and politicians who are inclusive of us will be getting out vote,” says Hannah.