Children with SEND in the early years: will they fall through the cracks? 

The Chancellor has stated that he wants ‘every child to have the best possible start in life and to fulfil their potential’ and, in line with this, is investing in family support in the early years, and an extra 30,000 places in schools for children with SEND.

Dingley’s Promise works specifically with children with SEND in the Early Years, and is flagging the potential danger of this
vulnerable group’s needs not being met by these new programmes.  

Children with SEND in the early years are among those most seriously affected by the pandemic. Statistics from the Disabled Children’s Partnership show that 58 per cent of this group have experienced delays to accessing support, notably higher than other age groups. For almost three quarters of children with SEND, their ability to manage their condition regressed over the course of the pandemic. Families report being abandoned by their usual service providers, with 60 per cent of Dingley’s Promise’s families losing all other support during the crisis. Even now, nationally, three quarters of families of children with SEND say they continue to feel socially isolated as a result of the pandemic according to the Disabled Children’s Partnership.