Phillipson accuses lawyers of exploiting parents of children with special needs

"It's been little surprise to me that there's been such vociferous criticism from lawyers about the changes that we're bringing. You know, they've got a vested interest in maintaining the failed status quo. There's profit to be made. They want the system to remain as it is, because they make a profit often out of exploiting parents."

"It's a fundamentally unfair system if parents who've got the money to hire lawyers end up getting a better deal than those who don't. Our support to tilt the system towards much earlier support, a fairer system of support for all children, is absolutely the right approach, backed up by the evidence and supported by the profession."

"We do have to clamp down on the wholly unacceptable income increase that we've seen in private-equity backed, independent specialist provision. It's sucking money out of the education system in profits."

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced special educational needs reforms aimed at reducing the adversarial nature of the current system where parents must fight for support. She criticized lawyers offering services to families with special needs children, claiming they profit from maintaining the failed status quo and exploit parents who can afford legal representation. Phillipson argued the new approach provides fairer, earlier support for all children regardless of financial means. The reforms include moving more children with autism and ADHD into mainstream schools and limiting council spending on private special school fees. Phillipson defended these measures against concerns that private specialist schools may close, stating the changes address unacceptable income increases in private-equity backed independent provision that diverts money from the education system.

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