Harvey Hind, a five-year-old from Clitheroe, Lancashire, who is deafblind, endured a traumatic experience in mainstream nursery while waiting for an education, health and care plan (EHCP). His mother, Kimberly Hind, fears that upcoming government reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system in England could undermine the support he now receives.
Harvey, who is severely sight impaired and profoundly deaf, uses bilateral cochlear implants. His family waited over a year for an EHCP, which should take no longer than 20 weeks. During this period, he attended a mainstream nursery where he struggled significantly. 'He was anxiety-ridden. It was distressing and extremely challenging on every level,' said his mother. Harvey stopped eating, sleeping, and talking, and missed three months of nursery. Mrs Hind had to quit her job to care for him.
In September, Harvey started at a special school for deaf children, where he is thriving. He now travels an hour and a half each way but is in a class of five pupils. 'When he wakes up in the morning the first thing he says to me is “Mr Jones” – that’s his class teacher,' his mother said. However, she remains concerned that the government's Send overhaul, expected imminently, could lead to funding cuts. 'I fear they will have the power to take back what we’ve fought so hard for in the first place if there’s cuts to funding,' she said.
Mrs Hind acknowledges the current system needs reform but worries that changes could reverse progress. 'Are we going to go backwards? The barriers we’ve spent so long breaking down, are they going to rebuild them again?' she asked. She also expressed distrust in local authorities' ability to implement legal changes due to staffing and funding shortages. Harvey's early struggles have left lasting effects; he remains frightened of other children and avoids interaction, highlighting the critical importance of early specialist provision for disabled children.
