Getting it right in the early years
The Government must ensure that the childcare expansion doesn’t further exclude children with SEND from early years settings.
Policy and advocacy
Kids has over 50 years on-the-ground experience working alongside children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families, providing support, advice and information.
Our ambition
Working with children and young people of all disabilities from birth to the age of 25, we hear the same story of hard-to-access, inconsistent and often inadequate support services. Stark, structural inequalities of access, opportunity and outcome mean that rights are not being realised. Voices, knowledge and expertise are marginalised or ignored.
This is why policy and advocacy are a core part of Kids work.
Our ambition is for every child or young person with SEND to meet their own potential. We believe that the right support and a range of opportunities need to be in place to ensure that every individual can thrive.
We turn practical expertise and trusted relationships with families into advocacy. By putting the voice of those with lived experience at the heart of driving essential systemic change, better access to services, consistency and outcomes are achievable.
The changes we want to see
Our Manifesto for Change outlines five clear areas where Government action is needed in order to transform the lives of disabled children and young people.
Navigating a complex system
We recommend that the Government provides a Navigator to every family with a disabled child.
Getting the right help into adulthood
The Government must step up and demonstrate action on a national level to fix the disjointed transition support system.
Making community provision and care and support work
Every child with SEND should be able to access activities in the community in the same way as other children.
Let us shape the decisions that affect us
Every local authority should ensure participation of young disabled people in local decisions that affect them becomes routine.
Our policy solutions
Our policy solutions briefing outlines the national SEND landscape, the impact of waiting lists, and Kids’ analysis of the short-term and long-term approaches needed to address SEND system failures, along with two immediate policy solutions.
National Partnerships
We collaborate widely to amplify the voices of children and young people with SEND, directly advocating to MPs, advisers and service commissioners.
To effectively champion the voices of those we work with, we play an active role in national partnership, as part of:
- The Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) as a Steering Group member
- The national SEND stakeholder group convened by the Council for Disabled Children (CDC)
- The Digital Services Consortium as a co-Chair
- The Early Education and Childcare Coalition
- The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)
- The Special Educational Consortium
- Speech, Language and Communication Alliance
Jimmy says
“Kids has given me a chance to not only speak about me, my experiences but also to represent the views of other young people with disabilities.
“I have been involved in helping OFSTED and CQC redesign their inspection framework, helping Kids develop their future plans and strategy and speaking to the SEND All Party Parliamentary Group about my experiences during lockdown.
“I use an eye gazer to communicate and this can be a barrier but Kids works with me to ensure my voice can be heard.”
Jimmy, 24
News stories
News
3 Mar 2026
Young People Lead the Conversation at MP Drop-In Event
Young people hosted an MP drop-in at Parliament, sharing their lived experiences.
News
18 Feb 2026
SEND Reform: Our vision for the Schools White Paper
Our vision for SEND reform and what we want to see in the upcoming Schools White Paper.
Press & policy
20 Jan 2026
Luke Murphy MP Visits Kids Nursery for SEND Crisis Report Launch
We were delighted to welcome Luke Murphy MP to our Basingstoke nursery to launch his report on the SEND crisis.
Press & policy
16 Jan 2026
Our response to the Government’s £200 Million SEND Training Investment
Kids welcomes the Government announcement to invest £200 million in SEND training for education professionals working with children of all ages.
Press & policy
12 Jan 2026
Young People with SEND Engage Education Leaders
7 inspiring young people with SEND came together for an interactive, youth-led workshop with education leaders.
Press & policy
20 Nov 2025
All Voices at the Table Campaign
Join our All Voices at the Table campaign to amplify families’ voices and push for urgent reform to the SEND system.
Press & policy
13 Nov 2025
Help End the Cliff Edge
Help us end the cliff edge that many young people with a learning disability experience, Sign our open letter.
Press & policy
15 Aug 2025
Dynamite at the Collective Get Together 2025
Abbie, Chair of Dynamite, shares her experience of the Collective Get Together.
Press & policy
25 Jul 2025
Fight for Ordinary Campaign
Join the Fight for Ordinary campaign to fix the broken SEND system.
News
21 May 2025
New Digital Inclusion Programme
The DSC has launched a new programme to help 20,000+ disabled children and families access vital digital support.