The Campaign for Change (Suffolk SEND) is a group of over 750 parents and carers of children and young people in Suffolk with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 

Suffolk County Council is amongst the very worst Local Authorities in terms of compliance with their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND. Hundreds of children have found themselves without suitable school places - some being without education for 3 or more years. Where children have statutory Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) to provide guaranteed special provision the Council has consistently failed in its legal duties to deliver this education.

This desperate situation has been recognised through 2 failed OFSTED/CQC local area inspections and now 26 Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman findings of failure in the last year alone.

A peer review from Lincolnshire County Council was published in September 21, again highlighting systemic failures but failing to identify the unlawful policies and practices leading to this maladministration. Council Directors wrote a letter of apology to parents but in the 12 months since, families with SEND are yet to see any meaningful improvements. In this time, the Council Directors have spent over £600k on management consultants to help them control demand for SEND services but have not taken action to comply with their statutory duties to assess needs, write compliant plans, review plans annually and actually deliver the provision required.

This campaign has met with Council Leaders including the Chief Executive and with senior officials from the Department for Education. We have explained the issues in detail to County Councillors, spoken at Council scrutiny meetings and corresponded with MPs and Education ministers. But to no avail - there has been no admission of unlawful practise and no senior Council officer has been held to account for the huge and widespread harm that has been done to the most vulnerable and children and young people. 

This situation is mirrored in other Local Authorities. However, in concert with leading public law and education lawyers, we have identified a way of holding Suffolk County Council to account through the courts and setting a precedent for other areas. 

Our objective is to hold Suffolk County Council to account for its unlawful practises in SEND and in so doing help other parents across other local authorities.