We have Rights, We have Power
They think we won’t fight. That they can stretch deadlines, leave plans unfinished, ignore pleas. That because we are tired, because the cost is high, because the system is built to wear us down... we’ll give up.
Well: I’m tired, of course I am. But my child’s need for education and our collective need for systemic change supersedes my exhaustion because it simply has to. And you shouldn’t back down either.
Here’s what’s happening in North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) right now - real decisions, real consequences - so you know that when we demand justice, we can get it. And because they assume we won’t, that is exactly why we must.
What he Law Says (But Councils Keep Ignoring)
Children and Families Act 2014 - councils MUST assess, plan, review, and amend EHCPs. They must secure the provision written into those Plans and take into account the child or young person’s wishes.
SEND Regulations 2014 - strict timings on assessments, consultations, and issuing final EHCPs after proposed changes.
Code of Practice - a legally binding guide for how rights should be applied in practice.
If they fail, we have legal tools: complaints through the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), appeals to the SEND Tribunal, sometimes judicial review.
The law is not vague. It is clear. And failing to provide the education a child is entitled to, failing to meet deadlines, failing to consult parents properly - all of that matters.
Real Cases: NNC Loses When Parents Push
Case: Miss K (2024)
NNC failed to provide a personal assistant named in her EHCP for nearly two years. She couldn’t properly attend school. Her education was damaged.
Parents complained and were ignored. Reviews were mishandled. Decisions weren’t issued, meaning they lost their right to appeal.
Outcome: The Ombudsman found "clear fault." NNC was ordered to pay over £15,000 in compensation, apologise, and fix its review process.
Case: NNC (23 009 139) - Ombudsman, Aug 2024
NNC missed legal deadlines for issuing an EHCP. Delayed school placement consultation. Failed to arrange education named in the Plan or any alternative.
Outcome: Ordered to apologise, pay parents for distress, and pay £7,200 to the child for a lost year of education.
Case: NNC (23 006 332) - Ombudsman
NNC failed to follow the law when reviewing and amending an EHCP. Consultation was incomplete, details missing, parents not informed of their rights.
Outcome: Decision forced the council to issue decisions properly, notify parents of appeal rights, and follow legal procedure going forward.
And here’s the reality: families win or partially win in 98-99% of SEND Tribunal appeals. That means if you pursue, if you persist, the law is overwhelmingly on your side.
Why This Matters: Because They Treat Us Like We Can’t or Won’t Fight
Right now, councils like NNC calculate that paying out small sums to the few families who push is cheaper than fixing the system properly. That’s why they drag things out. That’s why they play the waiting game.
This is not your fault if the fight feels overwhelming. The system is designed to exhaust us. But when we don’t push back, their tactic works - children miss education, families drown in stress, and nothing changes.
They are failing vulnerable children on purpose because they think we are less likely to act. That is their gamble. So the solution is simple: prove them wrong.
Our Path Forward:
Know your rights - learn the EHCP process, deadlines, and council obligations. Knowledge is power.
Document everything - every missed deadline, every broken promise, every email. Your paper trail is your weapon.
Use the routes available - SEND Tribunal, Ombudsman. They work. Recent NNC decisions prove that.
Support each other - shared knowledge and standing together means fewer people overwhelmed alone. Advice, templates, peer groups, legal clinics.
Make it costly - financially, publicly, legally. If the only thing councils listen to is money, then we make ignoring us more expensive than fixing the problem.
“If you just keep doing the right thing, it will work out. It’s hard and it’ll take time, but it will work.” Fighting for your family and your child is ALWAYS the right thing.
The Bottom Line
We are not asking for charity. We are demanding rights. Our children deserve equality - not excuses for years of lost education behind bureaucracy.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting more tired. I’m only getting angrier.
And if they only listen to money, then let’s take the fight straight to their wallets. Let’s make it more expensive to ignore us than to do their job. And regardles of where you are, remember: If NNC can be held accountable, then so can every council.
And if they think we can’t fight? They’re about to learn we already are.
