A Response from Engage in Their Future
Why removing Mental Health as a distinct category of SEND, risks leaving children behind
Posted on May 7, 2026 by engage
At Engage in Their Future, we exist to amplify the voices of children and young people whose experiences are too often unheard, those navigating complex social, emotional and mental health needs, those on the edges of education, and those whose journeys do not fit neatly into systems designed for simplicity rather than reality.
The recent SEND consultation, linked to the Schools White Paper, proposes a significant and largely unspoken shift: the removal of “mental health” as a distinct category from the SEND Code of Practice, returning instead to a narrower definition of “social and emotional needs.”
At first glance, this may appear to be a technical adjustment. It is not.
It is a fundamental change in how need is recognised, understood, and ultimately funded.
The Children Behind the Policy
We work with children and young people whose lives are shaped by trauma, anxiety, neurodiversity, disrupted attachment, and complex family circumstances. For many of them, mental health is not an “add-on” to their education, it is the foundation upon which learning either becomes possible, or remains out of reach.
These are children who:
- cannot access learning when overwhelmed by fear or dysregulation
- require consistent, relational, psychologically informed support
- depend on trusted adults who understand both their educational and emotional worlds
For these children, the distinction between “mental health” and “education” is not just blurred, it is meaningless. Their effective education requires the active and integrated involvement of mental health professionals and practices.
What We Have Built – And What Is at Risk
Over the past decade, schools, particularly specialist and alternative providers, have quietly developed deeply integrated models of support. Where external services have been stretched or unavailable, education settings have stepped forward.
They have:
- embedded therapeutic approaches into daily practice
- employed psychologists, therapists and specialist practitioners
- created environments where relationships, safety and regulation are prioritised
- supported transitions from crisis, including those leaving inpatient care
This is not theoretical innovation – it is a practical response to unmet need.
Yet under the proposed reforms, these approaches risk becoming invisible within the system.
If mental health is no longer explicitly recognised within SEND:
- it may no longer be funded within education provision
- it may no longer be protected through statutory frameworks
- it may no longer be named in the language we use to advocate for children
And most importantly, it may no longer be consistently available to those who rely on it most.
A System Under Strain
The intention behind the White Paper, to create a more inclusive system where more children are supported in mainstream settings, is one we share. A system where every child belongs, thrives and achieves is the right ambition.
But inclusion cannot be achieved by redefining need in ways that risk reducing support.
At a time when:
- demand for mental health support is rising
- health services remain under significant pressure
- schools are already carrying much of this responsibility
The removal of mental health from the SEND Code of Practice raises a critical question:
Who will take responsibility for the mental health needs of these children if schools no longer can?
The Voices We Must Not Lose
At Engage in Their Future, we are guided by the lived experiences of the children, families and professionals we work alongside.
We hear:
- families exhausted from navigating fragmented systems
- educators holding complexity far beyond traditional teaching roles
- young people who describe school not as a place of learning, but as a place of survival
Their message is consistent and clear:
- You cannot separate wellbeing from learning.
- You cannot expect children to engage if they do not feel safe.
- You cannot build inclusion without understanding the whole child.
Beyond Categories: A Call for Coherent, Integrated Support
This moment is not simply about whether “mental health” sits within a category. It is about whether the system reflects the reality of children’s lives.
A truly inclusive system must:
- recognise that learning is relational and emotional
- value integrated, multidisciplinary approaches
- ensure that funding and frameworks reflect real-world need, not neat classifications
- protect the provision that has evolved precisely because it works
Reform must build on what has been learned over the past decade, not risk dismantling it.
Our Position
Engage in Their Future believes that:
- Mental health must remain visible, recognised and resourced as an educational need within the SEND Code of Practice
- Integrated education and therapeutic models are not optional, they are essential for many children to access learning
- Reform must be shaped with those who live and deliver this work, not imposed upon them
- The system must adapt to children, not require children to adapt to the system
Looking Forward
The consultation period offers an important opportunity. Not just to respond, but to ensure that the voices of children and young people, particularly those with the most complex and intersecting needs are not lost in structural reform. Because while categories may change, children’s needs do not. And any system that fails to recognise this risks leaving behind those it is most responsible for supporting.
More information
If you’d like to comment on the proposed reforms, the period of consultation ends on 18th May 2026. You can respond by visiting the dedicated UK Government consultation website. They would like to hear from everyone who has an interest in the reforms including:
- children, young people and families
- teachers and leaders
- schools, trusts and early years and post-16 providers
- local authorities
- experts and academic organisations
- representative groups
