Cambridgeshire mum's SEND plea after child threatened to take own life

A Cambridgeshire mum believes the lack of support from school staff for her son who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has led her to breaking point.

The mum - who we're naming Adele - said her 11-year-old son joined a mainstream school last month but in his education, has been bullied and even attacked.

"I work full-time but you dread that phone call of what's the next meltdown," she said.

"When a child says 'I don't want to be here anymore', when you hear that continuously, it does break you as a parent."

Adele said because of her son's ADHD, he has been punished for things he struggles to control.

This includes detentions for not finishing his homework on time and taking too long to get changed after PE lessons.

"The fact he was self-harming and got overwhelmed, (he) just couldn't do anymore, I was like 'I'm putting a stop to this homework right now'," Adele said.

"I explain the situation but he got detention for that and it might seem so small, but these little things add up."

'My child threatened to take his own life'

A motion put forward by Labour councillor Alex Bulat ahead of a Cambridgeshire County Council meeting said more than 93% of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for the 2025-26 financial year were issued outside the 20-week statutory deadline.

That is compared to 91% in 2024-25.

An EHCP sets out a child's needs and highlights what extra support should be put in place for that child if their school feels it can't meet those requirements.

Adele said the school has no specialist mental health support her son can access, and instead has to use external agencies for this.

"My child (has) already threatened to take his own life and if he continues to be getting the treatment he is, then I can see him acting on that," she said.

"It's a constant battle (for help); there's not a day when I'm not thinking 'what have I got to fight for today?'

"I'm not just fighting to make sure my son is okay, I also need to make sure the teachers are understanding what is going on."

SEND 'not good enough' locally

Cllr Bulat claimed that Cambridgeshire's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services have "drifted from crisis to failure, causing severe distress to children and families, sparking over 70 formal complaints a month."

In response, Cllr Edna Murphy - chair of the county council's children and young people committee - said SEND in Cambridgeshire is "not good enough.

"Families have every right to be frustrated; that is exactly why we are working every day to bring waiting times down and get support to children sooner."

Ms Murphy previously told us the authority faces a high-needs deficit of "nearly £200m by the end of 2028."

Because of this, the council could face bankruptcy, but Cllr Murphy has denied that the SEND situation is at crisis point.

Adele said although her son has an EHCP, she has received little help from the local authority on how best to meet her child's needs.

It has left her wondering where to turn next.

"My child has been attacked and ended up in A&E; there is significant trauma in my child and the hoops we've had to go through to get this far, it's broken me on so many levels," she added.

"All I can feel is I'm in a big bubble and I feel very stuck; I'm screaming for help but no one seems to be caring."

County councillors are due to discuss issues with the SEND system at a meeting today.

'We know there is more to do'

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said the increase in demand for EHCPs has "led to significant pressure on council services and specialist placements, driving up costs and creating uncertainty for families.

“Last year we accelerated the pace of improvements with additional investment to increase staffing and tackle the time taken to complete EHCPs.

"We know there is more to do, and we remain focused on reducing delays wherever possible and are actively considering further investment in this service area."

The spokesperson added the council has been calling for more funding for education and reform of the SEND system to better meet the needs of children and young people in the county.

“We want to give every child and young person in Cambridgeshire the best start in life regardless of their individual needs," the council spokesperson said.

“We are committed to ensuring access to good quality education placements for all children, including those with SEND."

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