Lucy Powell has stepped into one of the toughest jobs in government as Education Secretary, and for thousands of families of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), this appointment really matters.
We don’t need more warm words, consultations, or promises of change "in the future." Families have heard them all before.
What we truly need right now is a leader who will listen—and then act.
The Power of Listening
If real change is going to happen, it starts with listening to the people on the frontlines of the SEND crisis every day:
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Listen to the parents who have been forced to become legal experts just to secure the basic support their child is legally entitled to.
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Listen to the children who have been left out of education altogether because the right provision wasn't put in place.
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Listen to the schools trying their absolute best while fighting stretched budgets, lack of resources, and impossible expectations.
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Listen to the professionals who see firsthand every day that the current system is simply not working.
What Real Action Looks Like
Listening is only the first step. We need the Education Secretary to have the courage to tackle the SEND crisis head-on. That means moving beyond policy documents and delivering tangible results:
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Delivering EHCPs properly: Ensuring Education, Health and Care Plans are drawn up accurately, honored promptly, and enforced without families having to fight through tribunals.
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Ending the postcode lottery: Ensuring a child’s access to support depends on their needs, not their location.
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Investing in specialist provision: Creating enough high-quality places and resources so children get the specific environment they need to thrive.
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Making inclusion genuine: Turning "inclusive education" from a buzzword into a realistic, fully funded, everyday reality in classrooms.
Put Children Before Budgets
Most importantly, the government must remember that behind every statistic, report, and budget line is a real child—a child who only gets one childhood. They cannot afford to wait years for another "system reset" or administrative review.
Families don’t need another overhaul on paper. They need action, accountability, and a government willing to prioritize children over bottom lines.
For the sake of every child with SEND, I sincerely hope this appointment marks the start of meaningful, lasting change.