Show Notes
On this episode of SNJ in Conversation, young disability campaigners, Siena Castellon and George Fielding talk to Special Needs Jungle's Renata Blower, discussing their lives, their achievements, what it was like growing up with a disability and the challenges that has presented. They offer advice for other young people - and their parents. Find the main post for this podcast on the SNJ website https://wp.me/p3S8eh-7y4
More from Special Needs Jungle, In Conversation
SNJ Co-Director, Dr Sharon Smith leads this webinar on the implications for EHCPs and EOTASof the Government's SEND proposals. Panellists are Eleanor wright, Legal Officer, SOS!SEN, Marsha Martin, CEO, Black SEN Mamas and EOTAS parent, Megan Booth, SOS!SEN EOTAS Adviser and EOTAS parent, Joanna Gibbs, CEO SENsational Tutors online education provider Webinar recorded 16.7.26 Find the article with all the links mentioned and transcript here: https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/webinar-recording-implications-legal-rights-ehcps-eotas-governments-send-proposals/
Education Minister, Georgia Gould, who has responsibility for the Schools White Paper's SEND reform proposals, speaks to Special Needs Jungle about the Government's plans for SEND. The Minister answered questions sent in by SNJ's audience and those attending the webinar. She mentioned ringfencing of SEND funding in schools twice--but does she mean what we mean by it? Ms Gould repeatedly stressed people could respond to any aspect of the proposals, and that nothing was set in stone. It sounded like there will ne movement on many of the initial plans as set out in the consultation--but defended the moved to rein in the Tribunal in ways that were not convincing to those attending.
On 23/3/26, Special Needs Jungle held a webinar focusing on the legal implications of the SEND proposals in the 2026 Schools White Paper. This webinar is just under 1' 30". The webinar features solicitors Hayley Mason Seager, CEO of SEN Legal, Polly Sweeney, Partner at Rook Irwin Sweeney, Eleanor Wright Legal Officer with SEND legal charity SOS!SEN, and Kate Cox, Senior Solicitor with SEND legal charity, IPSEA. The wide-ranging webinar looked at proposals to change EHCPs, creating four "tiers" of support, that would raise the threshold for EHCPs, Education Other Than at School (EOTAS/EOTIS) packages, Schools and school governors, and much more besides. This webinar is freely available, but donations to the volunteer run SNJ are always welcome: http://bit.ly/SNJ-Donatezhttp://bit.ly/SNJ-Donatez
SNJ's Sharon Smith and Tania Tirraoro talk to veteran SEND expert, Brian Lamb OBE a new episode of SNJ in Conversation on the Children and Families Act 10 years on. Brian says building good parental relationships is the key to fixing SEND
In the third podcast in our series on a decade of the Children and Families Act 2014, SNJ ’s Tania and Renata talks to former SEND Minister, Edward Timpson, who steered the legislation through parliament. We discuss the battles he had to fight to create a legal duty on health in the Act, and to bring in Ofsted /CQC SEND inspections. What does he wish he’d been able to push further? And what else might be different if he hadn’t lost his seat—and ministerial role— in the 2017 election.