John Furlong

Wow: Helen Hayes, committee chair, says: "All of us, as constituency MPs, see children not being offered places at schools of their choice, because of their additional needs." That's a massive criticism of the schools system.

Around 80% of children's homes are run by for-profit companies, but there is uncertainty if the Human Rights Act always applies to them. This week Peers debated this and we provided a detailed briefing. [1/3]

Contact responds to the future of Home to School Transport – new Local Government Association report out today ISOS Partnership and the Local Government Association have today released a report looking at The Future of Home to School Transport. In it they highlight the increasing cost of school transport and c...

Contact responds to the future of Home to School Transport – new Local Government Association report

contact.org.uk/about-contac...

Cerebra’s response to the LGA/ISOS report on ‘The future of home to school transport’ - Cerebra ISOS Partnership has recently published a report, commissioned by the Local Government Association, on "The future of home to school transport" in England. The Local Government Association is a campai...

Cerebra’s response to the LGA/ISOS report on ‘The future of home to school transport’

cerebra.org.uk/legal-rights...

@captaink77.bsky.social

www.specialneedsjungle.com/why-the-dfes...

Phenomenal journalism investigating the FII crisis for families with disabled, ill & vulnerable children by Emily Dugan.

We know this is negatively impacting #LongCovid families & urgent change is needed to the @rcpch.bsky.social FII guidelines. 🧵1/7
TW
🗞️🖇️ tinyurl.com/bdcrsxrj

Government faces battle over Send overhaul as campaigners voice fears MPs and parents worry shake-up may abolish vital education, health and care plans that SEN children rely on

Big news: Guardian story and multi-signatory letter about fears about how the govt will follow the disability benefits fiasco: with drastic moves on the educational rights of children & young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities 1/2 www.theguardian.com/education/20...

images shows shots of the infographics that can be found in the post, along with accessible PDFs

NEW POST: @captaink77.bsky.social deconstructs the new #EHCP figures for 2025 that show a 10.9% annual increase but a 22.5% rise for pupils “educated elsewhere” than in schools. Plus, check out our annual LA Hall of Shame and infographics @tanialt.bsky.social www.specialneedsjungle.com/e...

The thing with the disabled people of the future is they can't write to their MP by Tuesday.

But if this goes through, one day they will.

Is the government going to take away the rights of children with Special Needs? It is beginning to look like it.

I wrote this. I kind of had to. maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/is-the-gov...

Fabricated or induced illness in England: Examining mortality and serious harm Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) is a term used in England since 2002 to describe situations where a parent or caregiver either exaggerates a child’s sy

Here's my new article on mortality due to Fabricated or Induced Illness in England. It challenges the exaggeration of mortality in procedures which say up to 10% die and found no deaths in England over a 12 year period. Please rt
academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance...

image shows a colourised disabled girl in a wheelchair with a carer bending down to the side of her

NEW POST: Is a new legal framework for disabled children’s social care necessary? An eminent Baroness says no. But institutionalised parent-blaming shows it really is, say Professor Luke Clements and Ana Laura Aiello of @lawatleeds.bsky.social www.specialneedsjungle.com/b...

"This is the largest redistribution from poor to rich in American history."

EHCP shake-up considered as part of SEND reforms - adviser The plans - or a new alternative - could be 'narrowed' to special schools only, adviser suggests

Breaking: Officials are considering shaking up the system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) that would likely lead to a narrowing or new structure of support as part of major SEND reforms, a government adviser has said

schoolsweek.co.uk/ehcp-shake-u...

Putting the record straight - Cerebra A response to the lecture delivered by Baroness Hale of Richmond at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn on Thursday 27th March 2025, in celebration of Family Rights Group’s 50th anniversary ‘Looki...

Why Baroness Hale is wrong to resist the Law Commission’s proposals to take disabled children out of the Children Act 1989: Prof Luke Clements and Dr Ana Aiello cerebra.org.uk/legal-rights...

From next month until the summer holidays, I'll be writing an article a week for Schools Week - so if you know of anything I should be looking at in relation to schools, especially SEND, give me a shout. My DMs are open

a basic human right is systematically being denied children who are already some of the most discriminated against in our society.

On SNJ Today: Continence services for disabled children and young people are leaving families in a "horrendous situation". A new report highlights the shameful state of "a basic human right" across England, Wales and Scotland www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

can be provided as a result fails to understand that this is how the system is designed already. This is a smokescreen for cuts, it is not about moving money around. Stripping away rights from disabled children would be very troubling indeed.

Disagree with your framing re EHCPs (funding). The rumour mill is that the Gvt is contemplating moving away from a rights-based SEND system - this would be a fundamental break going back to Warnock in 78. This would be a big deal. Your contention that better support and early intervention...

This is not the first time Matt has had to try and undo the damage caused by naive/poor journalists not doing their jobs properly.

How will this potential change away from a rights-based model affect the Law Commission’s review of disabled children’s social care, which is in part looking to strengthen the law?

@captaink77.bsky.social
@stevebroach.bsky.social

At the SEN Law Conference yesterday Judge Jane McConnell was talking in fairly apocalyptic terms about the SEND system. Another huge rise in appeals. A new white paper forthcoming. Do we keep the existing rights-based system or row back? Look to the Welsh system as a possible model for the future…

BABICM's poster promoting their free webinar on 'Navigating Nutritional Pitfalls: Capacity, Choices and Health Impacts' taking place on 18 March between 12-1pm.

@ris-law.bsky.social's Alex Rook and Rosie Campbell are delivering a free webinar on behalf of @babicmorg.bsky.social on 18 March between 12pm-1pm during #NutritionandHydrationWeek, exploring the complex issue of capacity to make informed choices about diet #mentalcapacity 1/2

The Law Society response:

prdsitecore93.azureedge.net/-/media/file...

"the very best" - is a (repeated distortion) of the legal position by the councillor. Tribunals stand in the local authority's shoes and remake the decision - that is to decide what is a suitable education for a child, no more. Nothing to do with "the very best".

Law Commission Consultation Response - Cerebra Our response to the Law Commission's consultation on disabled children's social care law can be found here. The Law Commission was asked by the Department for Education to review the law to ensure tha...

Cerebra made this point in its response to the Law Commission consult, among many others, including the self-reported large number of errors the LGSCO makes when dealing with complaints. See answer to q62 here for the full skinny cerebra.org.uk/legal-rights...

Prof Luke Clements: www.lukeclements.co.uk/wp-content/u...

Special Educational Consortium: councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/sites/defaul... SEC response to Law Commission report 30.01.25.pdf

#Disabledchildren

Some other consultation responses:

Access Social Care Community Care Lawyers Group: www.accesscharity.org.uk/news-blog/vx...

via @bilson.org.uk PFAN: www.pfan.uk/law-commissi...

Contact: contact.org.uk/about-contac...

ADCS and LGA: www.adcs.org.uk/adcs-and-lga...

#disabledchildren

Law Commission Consultation Response - Cerebra Our response to the Law Commission's consultation on disabled children's social care law can be found here. The Law Commission was asked by the Department for Education to review the law to ensure tha...

Cerebra’s response to the Law Commission’s consultation on disabled children’s social care law: cerebra.org.uk/legal-rights...