SEND reforms to 'strip away' children's legal protections, charity says

The government's plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England will "strip away" legal protections for children and young people needing support, a charity has warned. The Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA), a charity specialising in English SEND law, said the reforms would weaken individual rights to support. The changes were announced last month as part of a broader Schools White Paper, a policy document that lays out plans for legislation. A Department for Education spokesperson said it is "wrong to characterise our reforms as anything but a clear expansion of children's rights" and that parents will "never be left without a route to challenge decisions". The chief executive of IPSEA, Madeleine Cassidy, welcomed some reforms, including plans to boost the funding and specialist support available in mainstream schools, but said that improvements could be made "without weakening the legal rights families rely on". "Legal rights are not optional extras and any new system must ensure that support is statutory, enforceable and backed by a clear right of appeal," she added. "If reform is to rebuild confidence with families