Councillors have welcomed the Liberal Democrats' call for urgent reform of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.
Milton Keynes Lib Dem councillors have backed the recent action taken by Ed Davey and Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP, who challenged the Prime Minister to take serious steps to address the SEND crisis.
In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, the Lib Dems set out five key principles for long overdue SEND reform and called on Keir Starmer to work on a cross-party basis to ensure children with SEND and their families receive the support they deserve.
Milton Keynes Lib Dem Councillors are now urging the Government to adopt these principles to deliver a long-term change to a system that has left children and their families struggling.
The five principles include putting children and families first, boosting specialist capacity and improving mainstream provision, supporting local government, early identification and shorter waiting lists and fair SEND funding.
“After years of Conservative neglect, it’s no wonder the system is broken. We are fully behind the push for urgent SEND reform as we have campaigned for more support in Milton Keynes for years,” said Councillor Nana Oguntola, Lib Dem spokesperson for Children's Social Care.
“This announcement puts the focus where it belongs – on children and their families, but it all starts with fair funding and more support for local councils. These proposals are a step forward in the right direction and if taken forward, it could lead to real change for children and their families across the city.”
