Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith has joined calls for reform of the 'broken' system of support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
The Labour MP's comments come after the National Audit Office (NAO) published a damning report on Thursday (24 October) saying the overall system was not delivering better outcomes for young people in the SEND community.
It said families and children lacked confidence in the special educational needs system due to "insufficient capacity" within schools and longer waiting times to support children.
The report warned that more than two-fifths of councils are at risk of going bankrupt if the system is not changed.
Kyrke-Smith asked a question on SEND provision in Parliament yesterday, in which she raised the issues of waiting times for school places and the difficulty in arranging transport provision on behalf of SEND parents in Aylesbury constituency.
Laura Kyrke-Smith MP said: "The NAO report lays clear the SEND challenge we face here in Buckinghamshire and across the country.
"I know from speaking to constituents that families and children have repeatedly been let down by the failing support system. Waiting times for school places and unreliable school transport, as I raised in my question in Parliament yesterday, are just two of the many challenges parents and carers often face.
"The SEND system takes a real toll on parents and carers: Recently I met with a group of SEND parents who told me that when they chase for an assessment, diagnosis or school place, they are made to feel as if they are at best a problem and at worst a criminal. This mentality towards SEND children and their parents has to change.
"I'm determined to work with the Government to fix this broken system, ensuring the voices of Aylesbury constituency children, parents, carers and teachers inform our reform plans."
There has been soaring demand for support for children with SEN. Between 2015 and 2024 there was a 140% increase (to 576,000) in children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan alone.
The number of requests made to Bucks Council for assessments for the plans in 2023/24 grew by 12 per cent on the previous year, to reach 7,003, according to a new report presented to the council's standards and general purposes committee.
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