(England) SPED changes to go into effect in 2030 to give mainstream schools time to prepare
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Feb 19, 2026, itv: Parents of children with special needs 'forced' to give up work due to 'broken' SEND system
A coalition of charities has told ITV News that parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being pushed to the brink by a broken system and left with no choice but to give up their employment to advocate for their children.
Parents and carers have warned they are increasingly being "forced" to quit their jobs, reduce their hours or take out loans, as overstretched and under-resourced schools struggle to support students with additional needs.
It comes as the government's widely anticipated - and long-delayed - Schools White Paper is expected to be published as soon as Monday, laying out plans for systemic SEND reforms.
ITV News understands the government is focusing on making mainstream schools more inclusive, signalling a shift away from a model which has seen a growing number of SEND children attend expensive specialist schools.
Kertisha Larmond's five-year-old son Theo has severe autism and gets specialist support, but it has been a battle every step of the way.
The mother of two has to pay out for specialist equipment and language support, and has had to cut her hours at work to care for him, which has taken a toll on her mental health as well as her finances.
Ms Larmond, from London, worked as a hairdresser for 15 years, but had to quit to look after her son. A decision she said "broke my heart".
"I feel like I lost a part of me when I left that job," Ms Larmond told ITV News.
"When I was in work, I felt like that was my little escape from what was really going on. You put your mask on and you go to work."
Ms Larmond continues to do some hairdressing work from home to give her the flexibility to care for Theo, but this has left her financially struggling.
"You just do what you have to do, and juggle everything, but it's hard," she said.
"As a mum I've always felt like, financially am I failing? Because I want to be able to get what he deserves and I should be able to give that.
"I thought when I got the diagnosis, all this help would come, which is silly now I look back because the diagnosis doesn't really change much."
Ms Larmond is not alone in her experience.
A survey shared exclusively with ITV News by the Disabled Children's Partnership found that over a third (37%) of parents and carers in England have had to quit their job to support a child with SEND, while 34% have had to reduce their working hours and around a quarter (22%) have had to change jobs.
Meanwhile, 31% of the families surveyed said they have to rely on benefits due to the financial pressure of supporting a child with additional needs. . . .
Over a quarter (27%) of parents and carers surveyed by the DCP said they do not feel their child is safe at school due to the level of support they receive.
The data also found that a quarter of children are missing about four weeks of school education, while one in eight children are missing two-thirds of the academic year, leaving the parents and carers to fill in the gaps.
"They are not able to live a rich family life, and that is a stain on our society and something that the government absolutely has to grasp," Ms Bird told ITV News. . . .
Concerns have been raised by parents over changes to education, health and care plans (EHCP), a legal document that details children's support.
Despite 62% of parents surveyed by the DCP saying their children have an EHCP, almost half (47%) said they do not get sufficient support to safely care for their child from education, health or social care services.
The government is set to change the current legal rights of children with less severe needs, and instead establish a up a new tiered structure for supporting SEND children, based on the level of their need.
It is not yet clear what form legal protection will be attached to these plans, but it is understood they will apply to the majority of children who have assessed as needing specialist support.
ITV News understands that the changes will come into force in 2030 to give mainstream schools time to prepare to support more children with additional needs. . . .
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said last month that increased investment was key to tackling the crisis, announcing a £200 million investment in teaching training, aimed at equipping staff across nurseries, schools and colleges with the tools to support pupils with SEND.
This followed the government's pledge last year to invest £3 billion across three years in order to create more than 60,000 new specialist places in mainstream schools.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “For too long, families have been forced to fight for support that should be routinely available when and where it is needed. Our Schools White Paper will be a once-in-a-generation change to children’s lives for the better, ending the one-size-fits-all school system that has failed too many children and families.
"We’re already laying the foundations of a truly inclusive system, investing billions in tens of thousands of new places that meet the needs of children with SEND and training up every teacher and teaching assistant in line with the best practice across the country.
“Our reforms will create a better system for all families, where support is delivered earlier and closer to home, while retaining legal rights to support.”
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