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For ages, I've been eager to create a film about Send.

Perhaps you know me as my EastEnders role, but I'm also a mother to an neurodivergent son diagnosed with dyslexic traits and ADHD.

It took many months of perseverance and effort from both of us to obtain the appropriate education for him. At times, it seemed like a battle.

That is why I wanted to make this film, so I could connect with other parents experiencing the same thing, and speak to educators, local authorities, and the ministry about how Send children are supported in the UK.

Understanding Send in England

Currently, there are more than 1.7 million young people in the country with Send. It is a broad category, including those on the autism spectrum and people who struggle with speech and language, have ADHD, and physical disabilities, among other conditions.

Schools in England already provide some support to these students, but if families think their child needs additional support, they can make an application to their council for an Education, Health and Care Plan.

An Education, Health and Care Plan is a crucial legal document because it is enforceable by law, specifies where a child should attend, and details how much additional help they should get.

My husband and I devoted hours filling in the forms to apply for an EHCP, and numerous parents describe the process very frustrating.

A Mother and Son's Journey

Not long after I meet teenage the young man, he presents his beloved cuddly toy, his comfort object.

He is on the autism spectrum, which means his brain processes and reacts to the world in a unique manner from many people's. He struggles with socializing his own age, understanding his feelings, and nervousness. Buddy likes to keep his toy nearby.

Following their move to the capital from north of the border in last autumn, his mother, Tunde, started applying for schools. She explains she contacted at least 11 schools, but many of them failed to respond, and those that did indicated they were at capacity or were unable to give Buddy extra support without an Education, Health and Care Plan.

At the start of this year, over 638,000 EHCPs had been granted to children and young people in England, a 10.8% rise on the previous year and an substantial growth in half a decade.

This rise is in part because families and educators have got better at identifying pupils who have Send, particularly autism spectrum disorder, as rather than there being an increase with Send.

This marks the repeat Buddy and Tunde have sought an plan. Their first application was turned down before he was evaluated. Local authorities decline about a quarter of requests at the evaluation phase, according to official figures.

During their time in Scotland, the mother notes they did not have to request the comparable of an Education, Health and Care Plan. Buddy's comprehensive school provided assistance for his learning, although not for his well-being.

The Scottish system has a different system for supporting children with special needs; educational institutions strive to offer more support without the requirement for families to apply for the similar of an EHCP.

"It's a madness," she says. "[Securing help] was so easily done, and it should be simple to repeat."

While the teenager is unable to go to school, the council is offering him with 19 hours of lessons per week in the community library.

The mother explains the procedure of applying for an EHCP has been so demanding she had to stop working as a midwife and health visitor for a time.

"I am unable to do the parenting. I cannot take him to these sessions, and be employed at the identical time… I was unable to get my son seen in the right amount of time and see patients' infants in the right amount time. It became a difficult choice - and my son prevailed," she comments.

I reconnect with the youth after a long speech and language evaluation.

"Draining… that is the only word I have for you," he says as he leans against a fence, Reindeer Dog tucked under his arm.

Finding a Place for Buddy

It's September and while millions children start term, Buddy is continuing to be taught in the public library. 60 days after I initially encountered him, he's receiving an EHCP but his schooling is yet to be resolved.

The local council agreed to Tunde's request that he attend an private school that works with children who have difficulties in mainstream schools.

Before he can begin there, the institution has assumed responsibility for the lessons he receives in the library setting. But the parent's now not sure the school will be able to provide what she thinks her child requires to improve his interpersonal abilities and self-assurance with peers his own age.

"We had been all prepared for September… and he remains without a school place, he's still having one-to-one lessons," she said.

"In my view … getting ready to be with fellow students and then still just being one-to-one with adults has really knocked him back and caused him to be reluctant to attend school."

The local authority states it views the family's worries very seriously and it will keep support her household to ensure they obtain the provision they require without further delay.

Officials note it knows how hard it can be for families to navigate the system, and how distressing holdups in securing support can be.

The council adds it has invested in a dedicated support service, and currently guarantees pupils are evaluated by specialist teachers at the earliest stage, and it is willing to reviewing the circumstances when parents are concerned about education placements.

The Current System is Broken

I am aware there is another side to this story.

The significant increase in the number of EHCPs is placing local authorities under severe financial pressure. According to projections that English councils are set to run up a combined Send deficit of £4.3bn and £4.9bn by March 2026.

The government states it has committed a billion pounds to assist councils fund plans and further investment on new Send school places.

I went to a local authority to interview among the few people in local government prepared to talk to me on the record about Send funding.

The councillor is a Conservative councillor and cabinet member for education and youth.

"Today's framework is in fact very adversarial. Our parents are increasingly tired and anxious and fed up of fighting… Staff sickness levels are extremely elevated at the moment," she says.

"This system doesn't work. It has failed. It's not delivering the best outcomes for children."

The need for EHCPs is now outstripping funding in the region. In 2015, the council had about 3,400 children with an EHCP. Today there are over 10,000.

Consequently the special needs budget gap has been growing annually, so that at the end of 2025 it stands at over £123m.

"These funds is really essentially intended for community resources. {That would have|