Amanda Allard, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, looks ahead to the planned SEND reforms expected in the Schools White Paper and invites nominations for the 2026 SEND Awards.
When the government delayed publication of its proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system as part of the much-anticipated Schools White Paper, it justified this with a clear message: we need more time to get this right.
The delay created space to listen, and over recent months I have had the privilege of travelling across the country as part of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC)'s work supporting the Department for Education (DfE)’s programme of regional engagement events in our role as Strategic Reform Partner. Every room has been filled with people united by their commitment to doing better for children with special educational needs and their families.
There were passionate and exhausted parent carers, many still carrying the trauma of navigating a system that can frequently feel uncaring and adversarial. We heard from SENCOs, headteachers and teachers committed to making their schools inclusive despite limited resources. We also heard from professionals working in local authorities and the NHS who were frustrated by the challenges of delivering effective support to children within fragmented or poorly aligned services.
Yet, despite the frustration and justified anger, anxiety and understandable scepticism, I have left each event re-energised. In every conversation, at every event, there has been a shared determination to make things better. This commitment and passion is the foundation for improvement, and Minister Gould, her officials and expert advisers, as well as the Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson, have heard the passion, the determination and the urgency of those messages loud and clear.
We now await the publication of the White Paper to understand how they will translate this into proposals for reform and we look forward to continuing meaningful dialogue as those proposals are examined and further developed. At CDC, we brought together experts from a range of organisations, including those delivering support for disabled children and those with special educational needs and experience of wider policy and system change, to think about what cross-government system reform could look like, learning from other reform programmes.
Read a summary of our SEND roundtable briefings
The £200m investment in SEND training for staff in mainstream schools is a positive start in delivering on a vision that ran through every event; to make inclusion in education not optional, not aspirational, but a clear, non-negotiable requirement, where children are not only supported but welcomed and know they belong. This was accompanied by a clear message that schools and settings can’t be expected to do this alone; they must be supported by an ecosystem of multiagency specialists that develops their knowledge to understand and meet needs and make additional support available quickly. For children who require provision beyond what schools and partners can provide, Education, Health and Care Plans must continue to set out how this provision will be made available.
Despite the narrative about a system in crisis and the need to address system-wide issues, we want to shine a spotlight on the positive work that can be built on, which demonstrates how things can be done. Recognising excellence is not about glossing over the challenges. It is about balancing the narrative, celebrating what works and continuing the honest conversations needed to make lasting change.
Where people are doing things differently and going above and beyond to deliver for children and families, their achievements deserve celebration, especially at this time of uncertainty.
If the service you work with is breaking the mould, delivering valued support, advice, short breaks or care to disabled children, young people and their families, why not share your story?
Entries are now open for the SEND Awards that we're hosting in Birmingham on 23 April - nominations close on Monday 26 January so get cracking! [Deadline has been extended to by 5pm Friday 30 January].
Book your place and make your nominations for the SEND Awards 2026 by 5pm Friday 30 January
And finally, our award-winning team loves working with organisations big and small to overcome barriers to improving SEND support. Find out how we can help you by emailing us at [email protected]