Parental Confidence in the Special Educational Needs System | FAQs

FAQ: Study

1. Why is this study important?

It has fed into a Government investigation into how parental confidence in the Special Educational Needs system could be improved. This investigation has released two interim reports called Report to the Secretary of State on the Lamb Inquiry Review of SEN and Disability Information and Quality and clarity of Statements Report of the Lamb Inquiry to the Secretary of State. The final Government report is available here.

2. What do parents and carers think of the Special Educational Needs system?

Even if parents and professionals are satisfied with the system's eventual outcome, they think it is complicated and when part of it felt confused, anxious and frustrated. The parents and carers we spoke to said they valued open and clear communication with schools and Local Authorities and when they were not well-informed, they felt uninvolved and suspicious of how fair the system really was.

3. Who took part in the study?

Parents and care professionals such as foster carers and social workers. Everyone we interviewed had experience of different parts of the Special Educational Needs system. We also interviewed Local Authority heads of Special Educational Needs services.