​Every child deserves timely support that actually works.

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As someone with over 22 years of experience in SEN, I’ve seen the gaps, the heartbreak, and the wasted potential. I’ve also seen what works. Through Synolos, the organisation I founded, we’ve supported over 600 young people—offering education, work skills, and mental health support to those too often pushed out of the mainstream.

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I don’t just talk about reform—I’ve lived it, delivered it, and defended it. But right now, across Oxfordshire, families are still being let down by a system that feels slow, confusing, and out of touch with reality.

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Delays in assessments, a lack of provision, and inconsistent support have become the norm. Parents are exhausted. Schools are overwhelmed. Children are being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or simply ignored. The system isn’t just overstretched—it’s structurally broken.

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At the same time, we’re seeing a rapid and sustained increase in SEND diagnoses and EHCP requests. Yet this surge has not been properly examined or addressed at a local level.

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There is also growing concern that SEND funding may be used—intentionally or not—to plug the gaps left by a shortfall in NHS mental health services. When specialist mental health support isn’t available, schools and local authorities are often forced to route children through SEND frameworks just to access any kind of help. That’s not fair on families, schools, or the children caught in the middle.

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This must be fully investigated from an Oxfordshire perspective—to see whether these concerns are valid, whether SEND funding is being stretched beyond its remit, and whether we're asking the right questions about what's really behind the increase in demand.

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We cannot build a better system without understanding the causes of pressure on it. And we cannot meet children’s needs by forcing square pegs into round holes—whether that’s through misused funding, under-resourced services, or bureaucratic processes that forget the human cost.

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SEND provision must be built on trust, transparency, and a long-term commitment to understanding each child as an individual.

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A SEND System Built on Trust, Urgency, and Long-Term Vision

We can’t fix lives with policies built for spreadsheets.

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What I Stand For:

Oxfordshire County Council has a key role in commissioning, providing, and overseeing SEND support. I will use my direct, frontline experience to push for reform rooted in people—not paperwork. This is about more than patching holes. It’s about grassroots, person-first change that puts children, families, and schools back at the centre of decision-making.

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I will work tirelessly for SEND reform across Oxfordshire, with a clear and personal focus on Brize Norton and Carterton East, where too many families are still battling to be heard.

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My Pledges:

1. I will push for faster assessments so children don’t wait years for a diagnosis or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

2. I will fight for proper, long-term funding for SEND services, so schools and support providers can plan ahead and meet need.

3. I will support an expanded, fairer alternative curriculum offer across Oxfordshire—so children who don’t fit traditional pathways are not left behind.

4. I will demand a full review of local SEND policy and delivery, including procedures, personnel, resources, and decision-making structures.

5. I will challenge a one-size-fits-all approach, pushing for truly personalised education and support models.

6. I will work to understand and address the rise in diagnoses, including autism, ADHD, speech and language needs, and mental health struggles—ensuring support is based on need, not assumption.

7. I will investigate why there is such a steep rise in EHCP applications and diagnoses across Oxfordshire, and what systems or conditions are contributing to this.

8. I will push for a full review of whether SEND budgets are being used to cover gaps in NHS mental health services, and fight for properly funded, dedicated mental health support that doesn’t eat into already-stretched SEND budgets.

9. I will call for Oxfordshire County Council to act as both a commissioner and a provider of alternative provision, so quality and accountability go hand in hand.

10. I will advocate for joined-up services, linking education, mental health, youth justice, and family support—so that support doesn’t fall through the cracks.

11. I will use my direct experience from Synolos to ensure that policy is shaped by practice—not guesswork.

12. I will fight for SEND provision in Brize Norton and Carterton East to be better funded, more responsive, and fully integrated with the wider offer across the county.

13. I will push for an independent investigation into how SEND and NHS mental health support interact in Oxfordshire, to ensure no child is miscategorised or left unsupported due to system failures.

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