ACROSS South East Cornwall, too many families are having to fight for the support their children need.

When it comes to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, the true test is not what is promised on paper, but how well it works in real life. Many parents have told me about navigating an exhausting maze of assessments, paperwork and delays to get the support their children need.

This is not because people delivering the support lack commitment. Quite the opposite. Teachers, school leaders, council officers and NHS staff across Cornwall are working incredibly hard under growing pressure. But the sharp rise in demand, combined with funding that has failed to keep pace, mean the system is under intense strain.

In Cornwall, around 3,000 children with SEND rely on home-to-school transport every school day, helping to drive Cornwall Council’s transport budget up from £19-million in 2019/20 to just under £36-million this year. In rural areas like ours, distance adds another layer of complexity.

That reality is felt sharply in South East Cornwall. A family in Liskeard may be told the right specialist placement is many miles away. A child in Looe may wait months for speech and language therapy because there simply are not enough specialists.

Pressures like these show why the current system cannot continue. In response, the Government has published a Schools White Paper and SEND reform proposals. The ambition to provide earlier support and better inclusion in mainstream schools is very welcome.

Cornwall is already showing what can work. Family Hubs, including the hubs in Saltash, Callington, Liskeard and Torpoint, are helping families access advice earlier. The Family Information Service connects parents with practical support and online resources. Community organisations are stepping up too, filling gaps with creativity and compassion.

But goodwill and good intentions are no substitute for a properly funded system. Reforms cannot simply shift responsibilities from one overstretched part of the system to another. This is where political choices matter, and recent Government funding decisions have made that challenge harder. From the Local Government Finance Settlement to programmes such as Pride in Place, funding has favoured urban areas, leaving rural communities having to do more with less.

Liberal Democrats have long argued that education and children’s services must be properly funded, with investment targeted at early intervention rather than crisis management. If we get support in place earlier, children do better, families face less stress, and councils spend less in the long run.

The consultation on the government’s proposals is open until May 18, and it is vital we make our voices heard. Unless communities like ours speak up clearly, there is a risk our distinct challenges will be overlooked.

The success of these reforms will depend on whether they deliver fair funding for every community, including rural areas in Cornwall. Only then will families here be able to spend less time fighting the system and more time focusing on their children’s futures.