Devon SEND Professionals Community

If you work or know family with PDAers - pathological demand avoidance- please look at the PDA International summit. A free 3 day online event with many well known speakers including:
Dr Ross Green
Libby Hill from SmallTalk Speech & Language Therapy
PDA Dad UK

And many more.
There’s nothing else like it.
And all for free- what are you doing next weekend.

https://www.thepdaspace.com/2026-summit

The PDA Space

2026 Summit Meet the speakers at The 7th PDA Space Summit 2026. Explore 27 free webinars on Pathological Demand Avoidance PDA , autism, ADHD, neuroaffirming support for families, parents, carers, educators and professional approaches, Capacity and Capability. Join our free online Summit and live events.

Summit 2-6th October

Highly recommend

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Understanding Sensory Behaviours. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join Becky for this free webinar exploring sensory behaviours and hopefully some Q & A time.

I

The Hidden Eighth Sense - Live Webinar | Book Now A live CPD session on autism and interoception for health, social care and education professionals. Why hunger, pain, continence and emotion get missed until they become a crisis, and what works instead. Includes the full on-demand course and a CPD certificate.

Exeter. Devon.

Sat 19th Sept 0930-3pm

Evergreen House
Victoria Park Road
Exeter
Devon EX2 4NU
what3words:///things.merit.popped

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/776601?utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1dennhb6s0vso -content

Petition: Establish dedicated independent statutory SEND regulator for Local Authorities Establish an independent statutory dedicated SEND regulator with powers to monitor, investigate and enforce Local Authorities’ compliance with their legal duties towards children and young people with SEND.

We’re delighted to be an official partner of the Schools & Academies Show at the NEC on 18 and 19 November.

On 18 November, our Senior Solicitor, Alex Stafford, will be speaking at the conference in a session titled 'Legal Rights and Duties for Children and Young People with SEND after the White Paper.'

Alex will explore how the White Paper has affected the legal entitlements of children and young people with SEND, what schools and professionals can do to prepare for reform, and the importance of enforceable provision and legal accountability.

Find out more and register your place: https://www.schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk/

Proposed SEND reforms would mean the support your child needs is no longer written into a legally enforceable Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

Instead, detailed support would move into a new Individual Support Plan (ISP).

What does this mean?

✔️ Today, the support in an EHC plan is legally enforceable and your child is entitled to the special educational provision they require to meet their individual needs.

❌ Under the proposals, support in an ISP would not carry the same legal protections.

If families disagree with the support provided, or the agreed support in an ISP is not delivered by a setting, the only likely option would be to submit a complaint to the school setting.

Every child and young person with SEND needs to retain their legally enforceable rights, not rely on discretion and aspiration.

Read more: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/news/ipsea-manifesto-for-send-reform

How you can help ⬇️

🔷 Write to your MP: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/write-to-your-mp-protect-the-legal-rights-of-children-and-young-people-with-send

🔶 Sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764268

Are you familiar with the new allergy laws for schools!

In 2021, Benedict’s school clothes were neatly labelled and ready for his first days at school.

We had written a detailed individual healthcare plan. We had packed his adrenaline pens. We had checked that the school had an allergy policy and that staff would be trained. We had agreed a process to keep him safe when milk was served at break time.

We did everything parents are told to do.

But it wasn’t enough.

Our plan was not shown to the teachers responsible for Benedict’s care. The allergy policy was not communicated to staff before he started. Staff had not been properly trained and did not know how to recognise his symptoms, when to treat his allergic reaction or how to respond.

The agreed process for serving milk was not followed.

And the medication we had packed to save Benedict’s life was used too late to save him.

Over the next few weeks, homes will fill with labelled uniforms, polished shoes and school bags waiting by the door. Among them will be the belongings of children with allergies, whose parents have written the plans, supplied the medication and trusted their schools to keep them safe.

These are Benedict’s things.

The clothes he would never wear again. The boots he would never grow into. The school bag he would never bring home.

The new statutory guidance requires schools to have allergy policies, individual plans, medication and trained staff. But their existence alone will not protect a child.

A policy must be understood. A plan must reach everyone caring for that child. Training must be comprehensive and practical. Medication must be immediately available—and used without delay.

Whether this guidance saves lives or becomes another tick-box exercise depends on what schools do next.

Please make it matter in yours.

Because no other family should be left with clothes their child will never wear.

Benedict’s Law must not live in a folder. It must live in every classroom.

Tag your school