Suffolk MPs have called for action during a debate, as children with special needs are left dealing with 'agony and anxiety'.

Several regional representatives gathered at Westminster Hall yesterday afternoon to debate the lack of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the East of England.

The debate was brought forward by Jess Asato, Lowestoft MP, who began her speech by sharing her first-hand experience of navigating the system for one of her children, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

She said: "The SEND system is creaking at the seams, there has been an explosion in demand and the supply has not caught up.

"Parents and children have been asked their views again and again, but very little has changed."

Ms Asato criticised the 'overly-punitive way' severe absences are treated and stressed the need for more funding, focus on preventative programs and investment in educational psychologists to drive down the waiting times for education, care and health plans (EHCPs).

Jess Asato.

She added: "It is not right that constituents come to me in tears after being unable to get their child into a school that can support them, fearful for their child's future and completely tied down by the need to care for them all day, often without support.

"We have to support children and their parents, rather than simply add fines or the threat of prison to the already traumatic situation.

Similarly, Ipswich MP, Jack Abbott, singled out how permanent exclusions disproportionally impacted children with SEND needs and called for a 'clear, credible plan'.

He said: "Hundreds, if not thousands of families, across Suffolk have been failed because of this deep-rooted, unrelenting failure.

"One that is not only structural, but cultural too — this is not new."

In Suffolk, Government figures show children with SEN needs who do not have an ECHP or support were over six times more likely to be permanently excluded than children without special needs.

For those with an EHCP, the permanent exclusion rate was still over four times more likely than those without the need.

Mr Abbott added: "There is rarely anything as heartbreaking as a parent breaking down in tears as they beg you for help for their young child exhausted and broken by a system that works against them rather than for them.

"The lived experiences of families across our county have not improved and, in many cases, have worsened."

Focusing on the tribunal system, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket MP Dr Peter Prinsley criticised the lack of 'real consequences' faced by councils when failures were found.

He said residents were 'frustrated and tired of fighting a system that should be working for them'.

Dr Peter Prinley

Dr Prinley added: "Families are left to navigate a tribunal system that is overwhelmed, delaying the help their children desperately need. There seems to be a failure of accountability.

"Local authorities must surely face penalties for failures, particularly when they fall short of their legal duties. The public demand some change."

From West Suffolk, MP Nick Timothy was among those sharing the 'agony and anxiety' caused by difficulties with screening assessments.

He said these were made worse by extra challenges in rural and semi-rural settings, such as the public transport network.

Mr Timothy said: "We all know that provision across the country and in the East of England has not been good enough for some time. We can all talk about some of the reasons why there is growing demand for SEND but we know the response needs to improve."

He said himself and his party would support constructive plans.

From the new Waveney Valley constituency, Adrian Ramsay also raised concerns about the lacking transport network and pointed out the system was not fit for purpose, even for children with an EHCP.

He said: "One constituent who came to my surgery recently told me that her young child, who does have an EHCP, has been at home all year after leaving nursery because there were no places available in a non-mainstream school.

"She said the system was hard to navigate, with little support given to families."

Experiences shared by MPs from across the region outlined an eerily similar situation, with several accounts of struggling residents featuring heavily in each representative's speeches.

Education minister Catherine McKinnell said the Government wanted to improve the whole education system to 'serve children in the best way possible regardless of their needs' and 'restore parents' trust that their child will get the support that they need to flourish'.

Summing up, she said: "We recognise that the SEND system needs to improve.

"We acknowledge the difficulties faced too often in securing the right support for children with SEND. I am determined that that will change."