Together Trust charity

📣 Have lived experience of SEND? We want your insights to inform our work.

📧 Contact: styliana.pasiardi@togethertrust.org.uk

🔈️ The Together Trust will continue working with sector partners, including the Disabled Children's Partnership and the NW Regional Stakeholder Network, to champion reforms that prioritise implementation and accountability.

#SENDReform

👉️ If the law is upheld, services are properly funded, inclusion is embedded effectively, and support is joined up around children and young people’s needs, we can finally move from debate to delivery.

#SendNationalConversation

👉️ Although not a formal consultation, this process is an important opportunity to help shape the forthcoming Schools White Paper (expected early 2026).

👉️The Schools White Paper offers an important opportunity to reform the SEND system with families and professionals, not to them.

#SEND

🔈️ We recently submitted our response to the SEND Reform National Conversation launched by the Department for Education.

📄 Here's what we asked for: www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/we-resp...

📣 Get involved:

✔️ Sign up for campaign updates
secure.togethertrust.org.uk/sign-our-lat...

✔️ Email your MP and demand an end to illegal homes for children in care: secure.togethertrust.org.uk/end-illegal-...

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament Current version of Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill with latest news, sponsors, and progress through Houses

🗓️ Remaining Report Stage dates:

19 Jan
21 Jan
28 Jan
3 Feb
bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909

New Research Project: Understanding Emotionally Based School Avoidance  - Together Trust We’ve recently launched a research project focused on Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) across Greater Manchester with our Research Assistant Volunteer. The decision to explore this area came ...

🚨Our EBSA findings across Greater Manchester show families aren’t being heard and support is inconsistent. When schools can’t meet children’s needs, parents are left with limited options. With no dedicated attendance code, getting help is harder still.

www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/new-res...

📚 Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

Barely mentioned in the first Report Stage debate.
The Earl of Effingham did highlight key issues: missed early SEND identification, inflexible approaches, and capacity challenges for schools.

#EBSA

Report Stage reflections: Concerns about unregistered homes and mental health - Together Trust On 14 January, the House of Lords began the Report Stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This is a crucial moment where members scrutinise the proposals in detail and table amendments be...

🚨Unregistered settings for children in care operate illegally, with no routine inspection, oversight, or accountability. The Public Accounts Committee has raised serious concerns about children’s safety.

Read our recommendations here 👇 www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/report-...

End Illegal Homes for Children in Care Right now, hundreds of children in care are being placed in unregistered, illegal homes with no oversight, no accountability, and no guarantee of safety. This is a criminal offence under the Care Stan...

🔈Take action 👇

✔️ Email your MP and demand an end to illegal homes for children in care: secure.togethertrust.org.uk/end-illegal-...

A wooden judge’s gavel resting on top of a stack of books. Behind it is a blurred bookshelf. Text on the image reads: ‘Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Report Stage Update’.

🚨 New blog: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - Report Stage Update: Read here 👇

www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/report-...

✏️ Stay in the loop! Sign up for our latest campaign updates: secure.togethertrust.org.uk/sign-our-lat...

📩 Have lived experience and evidence to share?
We’d love to hear from you email 👇
styliana.pasiardi@togethertrust.org.uk

👉We support @barnardos.org.uk call for a National Care Offer: A legal obligation for the Secretary of State to set minimum standards of support for care leavers - so entitlements don’t depend on postcode.

‼️This announcement is a step forward, but effective implementation is crucial to end postcode lotteries and deliver real change. Headlines alone won’t fix systemic gaps.‼️

The government announced the following for care leavers:

🟢Free prescriptions
🟢NHS dental care
🟢NHS eye checks
🟢A new mental health pilot
🟢NHS stepping up as an employer with guaranteed interviews & paid internships

🔗 www.gov.uk/government/n...

Care leavers given free prescriptions, dental care and eye checks up to 25 - Community Care Care leavers will be given given free prescriptions, dental care and eyecare up to age 25 under government reforms

Care-experienced young people remain among the most vulnerable:

⚠️ More likely to be NEET
⚠️ Higher risk of unemployment
⚠️ Greater mental health challenges

🔗 www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news...

🚨We’re concerned about plans to cut or merge key health roles for children in care. These roles are vital for their wellbeing - any changes must consider the impact.

by @corambaaf.bsky.social 👇

corambaaf.org.uk/updates/key-...

A person wearing a light blue shirt and denim jacket is holding containers of fresh berries at a market stall. Another person with short brown hair and a grey hoodie is standing nearby. In the foreground, there is a large blue banner with white text that reads: “New Government Measures to Support Care Leavers” alongside a yellow notification bell icon with a red alert dot. The background shows shelves of fresh produce.

🔉We welcome the government’s announcement: Care leavers will receive free prescriptions, NHS dental care, eye checks up to age 25.

‼️But delivery matters: cuts, staff shortages, poor signposting limit, impact. Awareness and practical access are essential for real change.‼️

#CareLeavers

Thank you for sharing, appreciate it!

4 January 1870 A night shelter for boys living on Manchester streets was opened on Quay Street, the origins of charity @togethertrust.bsky.social.

🔈 Important campaign calling on the government NOT to reduce the legal rights of SEND children. 👇

These rights must be strengthened, not weakened. Patchy compliance already leaves families waiting far too long for vital support.

#SaveOurChildrensRights

Sign up for our campaign updates:

🔗 secure.togethertrust.org.uk/sign-our-lat...

🔉The new guidance, introduces a new legal duty for schools to record and report any incident involving restrictive interventions to parents or carers. This new guidance will come into effect on 1 April 2026.

"Graphic with an orange background reading: ‘Government’s Revised Guidance - How does it align with our key asks?’ An arrow points to a document titled ‘Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools: Guidance for schools in England’ from the Department for Education."

New blog 👇

🔗 www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/governm...

This blog explores how closely the government’s updated plans align with the changes we called for, and highlights where key gaps remain.

🚨SURVEY NEWS🚨 by @dcpcampaign.bsky.social

Parent carers of disabled children & young people (0–25) in England - with SEND reform planned for 2026, this short survey helps ensure families’ voices shape what comes next. 👇

survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90986013/...

We know from our SENDIASS service that the number in EBSA enquiries are increasing year on year and we are doing a research project to scale and highlight the impact. Sign up for updates: 👇

secure.togethertrust.org.uk/sign-our-lat...

He attended Ceracycloan, who work with young people referred for lots of different reasons, including low engagement with school. Now he works there, supporting other young people.

Being on an EOTAS package doesn’t automatically mean a young person has EBSA - EBSA can be one factor.

Check out this powerful story of one of our students in an Alternative Provision who’s on an EOTAS package. 👇

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rXm...

It's a great example of how personalised support and strong joined-up work between professionals can make a real impact.

@beewelluk.bsky.social

🚨 Our latest Together Trust Campaigning Newsletter is here! Stay updated on campaigns, insights & ways to get involved 👇

📄 Read it: mailchi.mp/togethertrus...

✏️ Sign up for future updates: secure.togethertrust.org.uk/sign-our-lat...