Housing issues for SEND families: have your say event

In October, 30 Haringey parents of children with SEND attended an event we organised jointly with Councillor Zena Brabazon, the lead member of Haringey Council for Children and Families. The theme was Housing, and senior officers from the housing department were on hand to explain the process and answer people’s questions.

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A huge heartfelt thank you to all who attended for sharing the reality of your housing situation.

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Parents spoke very powerfully and movingly about their personal situations and what they had done so far to try to improve matters. The issues for families included repairs, overcrowding, temporary accommodation, allocations, and adaptations.

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A common theme was the impact of different types of SEND on family life in the wrong kind of housing. Examples included children with autism who compulsively broke the window locks to climb out of high windows, or children suffering severe anxiety without access to a quiet space. Another example was children who needed to be carried down several flights of stairs while in an epileptic seizure.

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Families reported that housing staff did not seem to understand the impact of children’s SEND and would make unrealistic suggestions of how they could manage, which felt patronising and unhelpful. Senior officers took details of people’s situations and have arranged to follow up and see what can be done.

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We at SEND Power are collating the stories people shared and will follow up with further events.

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