Clive Jones

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) for securing this debate. In a recent parent and carer survey examining the impact of cuts to the ASGSF, the findings were alarming. Some 71% of children have seen a reduction in the number of therapy sessions, and 34% of families have been forced into an unethical choice between having an assessment of their child’s needs but no treatment, or treatment of unassessed needs. The cuts to therapeutic packages have led to an increase in school exclusions, which were already far greater than for non-care-experienced children. They have led to an increase in child-on-parent violence, impacting 75% of families. There are children experiencing suicidal feelings who no longer have therapeutic support. Only 1% of families answering the survey have found the new £3,000 fair access limit sufficient to meet their child’s needs. Just 1%—that is a dreadful statistic. The Government’s changes to the ASGSF have contributed to placements without adequate therapeutic support, despite us knowing the harm that this causes. The Government should think again, consult with families and the sector, reverse the cuts and ensure that a permanent fund is created that allows all families access to the right levels of specialist therapeutic support, right from the start and throughout their young lives. Only then can children heal and thrive.