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REBECCA TILSTON SAID HER SON HARRY HAS BEEN STUCK AT HOME 05:00, 02 Jun 2025 A "heartbroken" mum said she felt "ignored" and "gaslit" after her son was left in

limbo for ten years. Rebecca Tilston, from Pensby, is calling on the government to take action so no other family has to go through what she says hers went through. Back in 2015, Rebecca

applied for an education, health, and care plan to provide support for her son Harry when he was six, but it was not until May, ten years later. Harry, now 16, has been diagnosed with ASD,

ADHD, and OCD but the Wirral mum said the delay meant his school didn’t have the resources to support him. Now she has launched a petition in the hopes of starting a national campaign to see

wide-scale reform. The mum, who has experience working in both special and mainstream education, is calling for educational institutions to be made accountable, timely and fair assessments

for every child, accessible guidance for families, national reform, open days for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and making sure all education staff are

trained. She said it is a campaign for teachers and schools as well as parents. Rebecca said she believes the issue was not the fault of schools that didn’t have the resources, but added:

"Teachers do not know how to support them. It needs to be all staff, not just SEND staff. It needs to be all staff because they are all looking after our children." She told the

ECHO: "Children are being forced out of school, told that it's their fault, but I think it needs to be understood that when a child has behavioural issues, there are reasons behind

that, usually those conditions. They are not being understood and are being pushed out instead of investigated. Article continues below "It's been traumatising to be quite honest.

I felt alone, I felt guilty for my children, I felt powerless, even jealous. When you see other parents and their children are doing well, you want the same for your children, but because

they aren't getting the support you are fighting for them to get, it's sad watching your child go through that. "It's been very isolating for Harry. This was a time he

should have been around his friends, and he hasn't been able to do any of that. He has been stuck at home with me. Traumatising isn't enough to describe what we have been through

as a family. "I felt not heard, ignored, and gaslit a lot of the time. It's been traumatising and when you've gotten to this stage when your son is about to leave school,

it's heartbreaking because it's done, and there's nothing you can do to change those childhood experiences for him. "I am doing this so no other families have to go

through what me and my son have gone through. It needs to change." In its most recent inspection, OFSTED and the Care Quality Commission have concluded that there are still widespread

and systemic failings within Wirral Council and the local NHS over its services for children and young people with SEND. Despite some progress, inspectors said urgent action must be taken.

The local authority is currently seeking to comply with a government notice to improve the service. Since then, the Department of Education said it has seen significant improvements, and the

number of priority actions needed has gone from 10 to three. The local authority has also invested an extra £2.8m in SEND services this year in the hope this improves the service in the

long term. The Local Government Association, which represents councils across the country, has called for more funding to support SEND children and stop councils being pushed towards

bankruptcy over costs. Wirral Council has called for further action after a motion from the council’s education chair, Cllr Stephen Bennett, and now current council leader, Cllr Paula

Basnett, was endorsed. This was following a critical report into national SEND services by the National Audit Office and the council later wrote to the government. The councillors said

services had been “forced to stretch to breaking point," adding: “Many families have lost confidence in the SEND system, and since 2019, there has been no consistent improvement in

outcomes for these young people." They said the report "highlights that the system is financially unsustainable and urgently requires reform." Rebecca has since contacted

Matthew Patrick, Wirral West MP, over the campaign. Mr Patrick told the ECHO: “It shouldn’t be as difficult as it is for parents like Rebecca to get the right support for their children.

“Since my election, I have advocated for better SEND provision on the Wirral in my engagement with the CEO of the Council and with ministers in the Department for Education. I want to see

children getting the support they need, when they need it, so that every child has the opportunity to fulfill their potential. “I welcome Labour’s investment of £1bn into SEND and

alternative provision funding. I will continue to raise this issue to ensure that the Wirral sees the benefit of this investment.” Article continues below The Department for Education was

approached for comment. The petition can be found here.