Committee publication · Correspondence · 28 October 2025
Letter from Chris Coghlan MP Member of Parliament for Dorking and Horley on Solving the SEND Crisis, dated 16.10.2025 and response dated 28.10.2025
From: Education Committee
Inquiry: Solving the SEND Crisis
Summary
Chris Coghlan MP writes to the Education and Housing Committees raising urgent concerns about systemic failures in local authority delivery of statutory SEND services, citing 650+ family testimonies across 100+ local authorities describing unlawful practices, delays, and non-compliance with tribunal orders. The Education Committee's response acknowledges the crisis, reports findings from its own inquiry, and outlines 95 recommendations addressing governance, accountability, resourcing, and structural reform.
Key findings
- Over 650 families across all nine English regions report widespread unlawful and unethical practices by local authorities in delivering SEND services, including withholding support, making decisions without evidence, and non-compliance with tribunal orders.
- Surrey County Council exemplifies systemic failures: highest SEND tribunal appeals for three consecutive years, education complaints at nearly ten times the national average, misrepresentation in formal reports, and alleged attempts to restrict MP involvement.
- Education Committee's inquiry concluded the SEND system is in crisis with deep-rooted problems in governance, accountability, culture, workforce pressures, capacity, and finances, creating widespread inconsistency in support availability.
- Committee identified weak and fragmented accountability due to structural misalignment between statutory responsibilities and available powers; health and social care partners are absent from SEND processes with no effective mechanisms to hold them accountable.
- Committee made 95 detailed recommendations including dedicated staffing resourcing, aligning local authority powers with responsibilities, systematic monitoring of tribunal compliance, extending health and social care statutory duties, and building inclusive mainstream education.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Chris Coghlan MP, Helen Hayes MP, Florence Eshalomi MP, Surrey County Council, Department for Education, Al Pinkerton MP, Education Committee
Notable line
“Instead of acting as public servants, some now appear to be treating parents and carers - and their vulnerable children- as adversaries; weaponising bureaucracy …”
Key Quotes
“… over 650 families have submitted first-hand testimonies from all nine regions of England, spanning over 100 different local authorities, describing their experiences of trying to obtain special educational provision for children and young people in crisis.”
“It appears that, in prioritising the preservation of resources, many local authorities have abandoned the Nolan Principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity and accountability.”
“Surrey has had more SEND Tribunal appeals than any other local authority in England for three consecutive years.”
“… there is "no particular problem" with SEND, only that Surrey parents are "particularly articulate." His Deputy went further …”
“… the SEND system is under significant strain and, in many areas, is failing to meet its statutory duties.”
“Parents and carers told us they often feel sidelined, blamed, or forced into costly and exhausting legal battles to secure their child's rights.”
“… accountability within the SEND system is weak and fragmented due to structural misalignment between statutory responsibilities and the powers available to deliver them.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗