THE SEND PARENT AND CARER EXPERTISE APPG
The newly established S.P.A.C.E. All Party Parliamentary Group is a cross-party forum that brings the expertise of SEND parents and carers into the heart of Westminster, informing policy and legislation on special educational needs, disabilities, and inclusive education through lived experience, evidence, and research.
Chaired by Adam Dance MP and Sarah Hall MP, backed by 25 MPs, and publicly supported by Anna Maxwell Martin and Kellie Bright. The Spaceship Network CIC has been appointed as secretariat.
WHAT IS AN APPG?
APPG is short for an All-Party Parliamentary Group, a cross-party group of MPs and peers who care about the same issue.
They're informal; they're not an official arm of Parliament, and they don't speak for the government. What they do have is a direct line into the people who write policy.
WHY DO WE NEED AN APPG?
The SEND Parent and Carer Expertise APPG exists because the people who understand this system best are the ones living inside it every day. Not the consultants. Not the reports written from a distance. Parents and carers.
This APPG is here to take that lived expertise and put it directly in front of the people who can change things.
WHAT DOES THE SECRETARIAT DO?
A Supportive Space
create welcoming, accessible spaces where parents and carers can share their experiences honestly and be heard as the experts they are, so more families can take part.
Intentional Structure
organise meetings, gather evidence and produce reports.
Collaborative Energy
bring families, parliamentarians, organisations and professionals together around a shared purpose, building connections and keeping things moving between meetings, so change is something we work towards together.
The Spaceship Network CIC is not a governmental entity or organisation
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?
Our Officers
This is not an official publication or website of the UK Parliament and has not been approved by either House. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed on this page are those of the group.