Anna Bird

A screenshot of the Zoom evidence session the All Party Parliamentary Group on Kinship Care held, focused on special educational needs and disabilities. It includes APPG Vice Chair Munira Wilson MP alongside Johanna Bernard from Families in Harmony, Anna Bird from Contact, Kate Cox from the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) , Dr Lucy Peake from Kinship and Brian Roberts from The National Organisation for FASD. The session was facilitated by Family Rights Group.

Our 2nd spotlight session yesterday on kinship families raising children with special educational needs & disabilities.

@lucypeake.bsky.social Kinship
@annabirdfr.bsky.social @contactfamilies.bsky.social
Johanna Bernard #FamiliesInHarmony
Kate Cox #IPSEA
Brian Roberts @nationalfasd.bsky.social

Have you struggled to get social care for your disabled child? Refused support, faced delays, or caught in disputes? We want to hear from you 💬 

Email elaine.bennett@contact.org.uk 📩

Pat McFadden to DWP - which will also take on skills (currently in the DfE).

(Quick education nerd aside: that is actually a big machinery of government change if that includes 16-19 skills because it's includes funding for school sixth forms).

Hand-written note on lined paper. Note reads "Living your ordinary life shouldn't be a fight. It should be a right."

Share if you agree. It’s time to fix the SEND system. #FightForOrdinary #ReformSEND

bit.ly/FFOAction

Proud to be part of this campaign, launching today. Please take action and be part of the #FightForOrdinary

Photo of Jane Harris, Bridget Phillipson, Anna Bird and Katie Ghose.

Thanks to Bridget Phillipson for meeting our chair and vice chairs, Anna Bird, Katie Ghose and Jane Harris to discuss SEND reform.

A great opportunity to emphasise the need for wide engagement and the importance of putting outcomes for children first.

'We're terrified our kids' futures will be destroyed by huge education shake-up' Parents and disability campaigners. are deeply concerned the government's reform of the SEND system will mean children with EHCPs will not be able to access mainstream education

“The idea of scrapping Education, Health and Care Plans will terrify families. The reality parents and children face now is that an EHCP is the only way they can get an education.” @annabirdfr.bsky.social www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

250,000 SEND pupils could lose their legal guarantees of extra support Parents 'terrified' by idea of EHCPs being cut from mainstream schools, saying they are the only way many disabled children can get the support they need to thrive

'250,000 SEND pupils could lose their legal guarantees of extra support.'

Chair of the DCP, @annabirdfr.bsky.social is quoted by @theipaper.com following reports that EHCPs could be restricted in mainstream schools. inews.co.uk/news/250000-...

More SEND pupils could go to mainstream schools as support shake-up is considered Tighter rules on which children with special educational needs should get EHCPs - guaranteeing support - are being considered, amid SEND cash crisis

DCP Chair, @annabirdfr.bsky.social is quoted in this article alongside other voices in the sector following reports that the Government is considering legal changes to the criteria for EHCPs. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Oh man. I am so jealous!

Help us to support more families with disabled children.
This week we have launched our Lifeline Appeal in partnership with the Big Give. Until Tuesday 10 December, the Big Give will double every pound donated to our Lifeline appeal 👉 bit.ly/big-give-social

Also aware of families sent letters by school threatening fines for absence ...

When the absence was solely due to the children being suspended by the school ...

And the suspensions arose from incidents that happened because the school was not meeting the child's (EHCP specified) needs.

Woman's Hour - Pumeza Matshikiza, Josie Lloyd, CensHERship - BBC Sounds South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza performs live in the studio.

You can hear me for @dcpcampaign.bsky.social on Woman’s Hour this morning, discussing today’s announcement that they are allocating £740m from the schools capital budget for SEND facilities- from 7 mins in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Parents of disabled children face over £20,000 annual income loss, study reve... A leading charity is calling for the Government's Child Poverty Strategy to recognise that families caring for youngsters with physical or mental disabilities are being forced out of work and into har...

The gvt’s Child Poverty Strategy must centre the needs of disabled children and their families. Our findings highlight the dire poverty many are experiencing www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1984...

Camden mum says she may have to give up work to care for her son Bisi Daniels pays up to £1,500 a month on specialist babysitters for her son Shaka, who is autistic.

'I may have to give up my job to care for my son' www.bbc.com/news/article...

The findings of @contactfamilies.bsky.social latest #countingthecosts research are a grim read. 🙏🏼 @bbclondonnews.bsky.social for shining a light on the inequalities families with disabled children face

This makes me want to scream

A remarkable stat: Heidi Alexander’s appointment as Transport Secretary means the cabinet is now 100% state-educated for the first time in history.

'I quit to fight for my son': how the SEND crisis is wrecking women's careers Four in 10 parents of children with special educational needs have stopped working, and mothers are hit the hardest

I wrote about the way the SEND crisis is quietly unpicking women's lives - destroying careers, dismantling relationships, damaging physical and mental health.

And all this goes on unacknowledged.

Long read for The i Paper:

inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

So glad you did this!!

We've had a go at one of those starter pack things! The DCP has more than 120 members - here are thoseon Bluesky (DCP members - please let us know if we've missed you out!)
go.bsky.app/4QNiZEF And if your organisation is interested in joining them: email disabledchildrens.partnership@mencap.org.uk

A chart showing around 90% of Send tribunal being lost, a greater proportion year after year.

Pleased to see @probonoecon.bsky.social’s research into SEND appeals featured in @pmdfoster.bsky.social’s newsletter this week.

£60-80mn wasted by LAs and courts fighting EHCP cases LAs almost invariably lose

👀 www.probonoeconomics.com/wasting-mone...

Graph showing poverty levels including child poverty reaching 36%

Shocking news. 36% of UK children are living in poverty according to the latest Social Metrics Commission research (I am one of the Commissioners)
www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

We hear this all the time on our helpline @tomshakespeare.bsky.social It’s causing huge amounts of distress.

Also welcome the increase in NHS funding. Many disabled children rely on health and social care for diagnosis, treatment and therapy. Funding needs to go hand in hand with better joint working between the NHS, councils and schools, and an end to buck-passing, which make life so hard for families.

We at the Disabled Children’s Partnership welcome the additional £1 billion for SEND, which could make a huge difference for millions of children struggling to get the right support in school if it is spent on recruiting new specialists, training, and speeding up access to support.

Here’s our statement: t.co/VzSEKjZE0n

Graphic which states: Carers allowance earnings limit will be increased to allow carers to work 16 hours at National Living Wage

We at Contact were pleased to hear the Chancellor acknowledge the challenges carers face and increase the earnings limit of Carers Allowance. Many parents have campaigned for this change over many years 👏

Budget reflections a few hours on... 🧵1/7

In her statement the Chancellor said 'change must be felt' - she's right. And it's people experiencing hardship who most need to feel it.

Today's budget contained some necessary actions and some problems...

Listened to most of it with my 2 children, during their half term. It’s the first time they’ve listened to the budget, feels great that they will always find it totally normal to have a woman holding court on budget day (while the chaps moo in the background).

With the Chancellor confirming that the Govt will go ahead with changes to the WCA, here’s a reminder of the expected impact…

450k people with disabilities are set to lose up to £4,900 per year — this deserves as much attention as the (similar in size) Winter Fuel Payment cut