FAMILIES and education professionals have joined forces in Liskeard as pressure mounts for urgent reform of special educational needs provision across the region.

South East Cornwall MP, Anna Gelderd, convened a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) roundtable, bringing together parents, teachers and specialists to confront what many described as a system “in crisis”. The meeting was the latest move in her campaign to secure more resources and fairer funding for her constituency.

The discussion laid bare the challenges facing families navigating SEND support, from long waiting times to inconsistent provision. Ms Gelderd says the experiences shared will form part of her push in Parliament to ensure the area is properly represented in the upcoming SEND reforms.

The roundtable follows a series of local engagements, including a caseworker drop-in session and two surveys targeting both families and education professionals. Together, they have built a growing body of evidence highlighting widespread frustration, as well a demand for change.

She said: “Our SEND support here in South East Cornwall needs fixing and I’m campaigning for more provision in our area. That’s why I held my roundtable to speak directly with families and education professionals about what the area really needs so that we can give children with SEND the support that they deserve.”

At the heart of the campaign is a stark national picture. Children with SEND are twice as likely to be absent from school, missing more than one in ten days on average. Since 2019, outcomes have stalled, with nearly a third of young people with SEND not in education, employment or training – double the rate of their peers.

Families also face a complex and often distressing system. Securing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – a key gateway to support – can take months or even years. Last year, 46 per cent of EHCPs were completed within the 20-week target, leaving thousands without timely help. Many parents are forced into legal disputes to secure basic provision.

Bridget Phillipson MP, secretary of state for education, acknowledged the scale of the challenge, describing a system that has “let children down for far too long”.

“Children have been let down for far too long by a system that is in crisis,” she said. “Our plans will transform the system so families don’t have to battle for support, and children with SEND are included, not sidelined. Inclusion should be at the heart of everything we do so that every child, no matter their background, can achieve and thrive.”

The government says its reforms will ensure every child needing extra help will receive a personalised plan, setting out tailored support based on national standards.

Teachers in every classroom will receive specialist SEND training, while schools will benefit from new dedicated funding streams to deliver proven programmes, including small-group support for communication and language needs.

All secondary schools will introduce inclusion bases for targeted support, supported by a £3.7-billion investment creating more specialist places. Families will also gain improved access to experts such as therapists, while expanded family hubs will provide advice and outreach support.