Community for fathers with SEND children proud to attend parliament to discuss ‘invisible crisis’
A community group for fathers and male carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) was proud to be invited to parliament to raise awareness of the “invisible crisis” they face.
SENDS 4 Dad was founded by Paul Meadows and the group has continued to push the important message that it is society that disables SEND children, and they need to be taught to appreciate themselves.
By providing fathers with tips, advice and a supportive network of people with similar experiences, it has allowed some families to stay together and improved men’s mental health.
More fathers and male carers continue to join, form close bonds, and find comfort in the fact they know what each other are going through.
“We went to raise awareness of an invisible crisis around dads and male carers,” Paul told the Chronicle & Echo. “We often get left out and have additional stresses and issues.
“We were calling on the MPs to recognise male carers, look at investing, and encourage them to look at groups throughout the UK. We’ve had contact from dads across the country wanting to set up their own groups or asking if there’s one in their areas.”
Joined by another father from Nottingham, the SENDS 4 Dad community shared their experiences, what it means to be a part of this group, and the difference the community makes to their mental health.
SENDS 4 Dad had the support of local MPs Lucy Rigby and Lee Barron and with 26 MPs who came to speak to the group during their visit, it was deemed a success.
“Lee actually mentioned us in parliament and he’s tried to make us part of the process to get our voices heard,” said Paul, who is pleased that this work will continue in the autumn.
He was also part of a separate parliament roundtable event regarding SEND education and Paul is eagerly waiting to see how the feedback is going to be implemented moving forward.
SENDS 4 Dad is soon hosting a 10-year celebration event, and Paul was asked how it feels to reach this momentous milestone of having a positive impact across the county.
He said: “It’s absolutely amazing how much the group has grown and I’m still only scratching the surface. If there was more investment, we could reach more people. We’re not reaching everyone and there’s still people who haven’t heard about us.”
The need for SENDS 4 Dad is only increasing, and Paul hopes to expand to areas like Daventry and Towcester as a result. This will be in addition to sustaining the number of events they host and take part in across Northampton.