Open petition: Require an apology to SEND families for local authority failures

Created by Hayley Harding
Closes on 30 January 2027

We are calling on the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, to issue a formal apology to families of children with SEND for years of failures within local authority SEND services. Families have faced delays, poor communication and purposeful barriers to support, causing significant stress and harm.

For years, families across England have been left exhausted and distressed, fighting battles they should never have had to face simply to secure support for their children. They repeatedly describe local authorities putting systems and processes in place designed to delay progress, create barriers and wear them down rather than help. Behind every delay is a child waiting for support and a family living with heartbreak. Current reforms will be meaningless if local authorities do not change.

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