Parents Demand Action for Failing SEND System
Protest Organiser Georgina says local authorities are “failing our children” and calls for more funding and honesty from government
Last updated 13th Oct 2025
Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are gathering outside Somerset County Hall in Taunton today to demand urgent action from both local and national government.
The protest, organised by Georgina, a Somerset mum who says own son has been failed by the system, brought together dozens of families calling for fairer funding, proper support, and accountability.
“I’m personally attending to support everybody” Georgina said. “I’ve been chatting to 40 or 50 parents on Facebook over the last few weeks, sharing their stories, signposting them, advising them, supporting them emotionally. I have to be there to meet these parents.”
While her own experience has been difficult, Georgina says the protest isn’t just about her. “Obviously, I’ve got a little boy that’s been failed by the local authority, but I just don’t want to make this personal. It’s not about me, it’s about all of these kids and all of these families.”
The protest is taking place outside County Hall on the grassy area at the front. “Everyone’s welcome,” Georgina said. “Please feel like you can bring your children and family members and friends if you want to.”
Her message to the council and government is blunt: stop making excuses. “I just want them to stop talking rubbish about not having the money to support us and these children” she said. “There’s a lot more awareness now, a lot more people getting diagnosed — adults and children — and you can’t just keep the funding the same. These children need EHCPs that are correct, they need the right settings, they just need to be listened to and heard.”
Georgina says several MPs have already expressed their support, including Gideon Amos, Rachel Gilmore, Adam Dance and Ashley Fox. “They’re all listening and very keen to help” she said. “They went to Parliament and had a debate about it. Every MP across the country has stories from parents who’ve reached out because they’re being failed by the local authority.”
Her call to Somerset Council is clear: work with government and demand more funding. “The council need to listen because they need to liaise with the government and the people above them and say, look, we need this money, we need more money.”
Somerset Council has since launched a public consultation called Families First Partnership, aimed at transforming support for children and families across the county. The initiative invites parents, carers, and professionals to share their views on how services can be improved to help children receive the right help at the right time. The consultation runs until 27 November, with details available on the council’s website and at local libraries.