Introduce fines and penalise local authority officers, including the possibility of criminal conviction, who fail to fulfil LA legal obligations to SEND children. We believe Local Authorities which act unlawfully should incur direct consequences.

We believe Local Authorities routinely push parents to tribunal to secure Educational Needs Assessments (phase one of the EHCP process), refuse assessments for unlawful reasons, and rely on a high percentage of parents not to follow on to tribunal. Meanwhile, many vulnerable children suffer.