Surrey County Council’s SEND reform plan sets Surrey up to continue to fail thousands of SEND children in their legal and basic human right to an education. Either the new local authorities deny thousands their legal education rights - with devastating consequences for Surrey children- or they go bust. Appallingly this plan has been approved by the Department for Education with virtually no scrutiny. I have written with my Surrey Lib Dem MP colleagues asking the government to remedy the funding position.

I have referred Surrey Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following details about their decision to drop two investigations into Officers at Surrey County Council. Both investigations were for Misconduct in Public Office and one investigation was also for Perjury. One investigation related to a 12 year old child, and the other a 10 year old child, both with special educational needs. The Hillsborough Law now going through Parliament will require public authorities and public officials to perform their functions with candour, transparency, frankness and in the public interest at all times.

There is no statutory need for Surrey County Council to withhold their draft local SEND Reform Plan from the public. Doing so deprives parents, carers and teachers the opportunity to scrutinise its policies. In the interest of transparency, my fellow Surrey Lib Dem MPs and I have written to the Council, urging them to publish it without further delay. 

Read more here. 

It was great to host the Save Our Children’s Rights campaign in Parliament last night to discuss the upcoming SEND reforms with MPs, parents, and experts.

Dozens of SEND families have reported that Surrey County Council have not yet provided their child's tuition for September causing families enormous stress. The Council is risking breaching their legal rights to an education. These are our most vulnerable SEND children who can’t cope in mainstream school- almost 500 children in Surrey need this type of education. I spoke to the BBC and am raising it with the Education Secretary with my Surrey Lib Dem MP colleagues.

Olly is 24 years old and has microcephaly and global developmental delay. His mum, Cara, says he does not have the mental capacity to live independently yet has not had a capacity assessment. She has been fighting for two and a half years to get him the support he needs.