This week I met Norfolk County Council in Parliament, as part of their update to MPs on provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

County want some kind of innovative programme to reform how things work which would give them more control, for example over tribunal placements, and exclusions and who takes SEND children at MATs/academies.

The key, they feel, is more resource, more innovation and tackling the causes of this issue rather than the symptoms. That would mean, for example, more investment in mainstream schooling to reduce the needs for external special provision.

During the meeting, I said that any reform had to be sequenced. Based on the conversations I’ve had with constituents with children needing SEND provision, starting with handing over tribunal placement power to County would go down like a cup of cold sick. That could come only once parents were seeing other upstream changes making a difference.

I also asked County to consult with the various parent groups out there. Change should not be imposed. I specifically asked for SEND parent groups to be involved from the start.

County also answered my question about over-representation of children in care in the youth criminal justice system, and being at risk of exploitation.

There is a SEND provision crisis in our county, and it is one of the main issues I have been focussing on in Parliament. You can see some of the actions I have taken here.