‘Right support, right place, right time; right mess!’ Professionals' views on factors influencing the SEND system and outcomes for children and families in England: A qualitative study

Abstract The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system in England is under scrutiny. Critics highlight inefficient service design, poor implementation, and adversarial processes that cause family‐level distress. Unmet needs deprive children of learning, harming long‐term prospects. Legislative changes in 2014 mandated professionals from multiple sectors to produce integrated child‐centred support plans. Since then, little peer‐reviewed research has asked professionals about key influences on SEND provision, interagency working or service‐user outcomes. We conducted focus‐group discussions with 35 SEND professionals, using a topic guide co‐developed with parents/carers of children with SEND. Thematic analysis identified several system‐level influences: increasing bureaucracy which diverted resources from early intervention; increasing SEND presentations and complexity; inadequate resources and training; over‐dependence on parents'/'carers' advocacy; poor relationships with families; harmful education policies. Good interagency working depended on information sharing, relationships, shared understandings of SEND and access to specialists. Long waiting‐lists, delayed provision and gaps in post‐16 services worsened children's outcomes. Securing SEND provision was said to punish parents/carers; children with fewer resources were unseen. Repairing the system requires parallel actions to increase human resources, improve training and interagency working, and reduce parent/carer burden when obtaining SEND provision. Without substantial investment, delivering a child‐centred system that meets needs remains impossible.