Committees

Solving the SEND Crisis

Inquiry

A number of recent reports have set out in detail the extent of the crisis in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, which is letting down children and their families, creating intense pressure on local authority funding and on schools.

This inquiry will focus on how to achieve both short term stability and long-term sustainability for the SEND system to improve experiences and outcomes for children and young people.

Read the call for evidence

The call for evidence is also available in alternative formats via the links below:

 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 6:00pm on 6 February 2025.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 1 July 2025
10:00am Public
Solving the SEND Crisis - Oral evidence 1 July 2025
10:00am
  • Catherine McKinnell MP (Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) at Department for Education)
  • Alison Ismail (Director of SEND at Department for Education)
The Macmillan Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 10 June 2025
10:00am Public
Solving the SEND Crisis - Oral evidence 10 June 2025
10:00am
  • Dr Susana Castro-Kemp (Associate Professor in Psychology and Special Needs at the Centre for Inclusive Education in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at UCL Faculty of Education and Society (IOE))
  • Dr Peter Gray (Co-coordinator of the National SEN Policy Research Forum at SSCYP (Strategic Services for Children & Young People))
  • Jo Hutchinson (Director for SEND and additional needs at Education Policy Institute)
11:00am
  • Daniel Constable-Phelps (Executive Headteacher at St Mary’s Primary and Nursery School)
  • Conrad Bourne (Director for SEND at The Mercian Trust)
  • Nicole Dempsey (Director of SEND and Safeguarding at Dixons Academies Trust)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 13 May 2025
10:00am Public
Solving the SEND Crisis - Oral evidence 13 May 2025
10:00am
  • Georgina Downard (Senior Solicitor at Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA))
  • Sharon Chappell (Assistant Ombudsman at Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO))
  • Adam Sproston (Senior inspector for SEND and Alternative Provision at Ofsted)
  • Lucy Harte (Deputy Director of Multi-agency Operations at Care Quality Commission (CQC))
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 29 April 2025
11:00am Public
Solving the SEND Crisis - Oral evidence 29 April 2025
11:00am
  • Ms Marie Gascoigne (speech, language and communication policy expert, advisor and consultant at Better Communications CIC)
  • Sarah Walter (Director, ICS Network at NHS Confederation)
  • Alison Stewart (Head of SEND at South West London Integrated Care Board)
10:00am
  • Lisa O’Connor (Vice President at Association of Educational Psychologists)
  • Professor Ian Kessler (Professor of Public Policy and Management at Kings College London)
  • Janet Harrison (Head of Service at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Member at The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.