Liberal Democrat MPs Al Pinkerton, Chris Coghlan, Helen Maguire, Monica Harding, Will Forster and Zöe Franklin have written to Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, Cllr Clare Curran, to express serious concerns over the council’s new policy on Special Educational Needs (SEND) casework.

The letter comes after MPs were advised that Surrey County Council “will no longer provide a response to individual cases where a more appropriate alternative route is available”.

The MPs say Cllr Curran did not contact the group in advance to discuss her concerns before making this decision, which effectively closes a vital avenue through which desperate families have previously sought help.

Surrey County Council has the highest number of SEND-related complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman of any local authority in England. Some parents have been waiting up to two years to secure an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their child.

The MPs emphasise cases are typically raised with the council only after families have exhausted official channels or failed to receive any response from the council.

The joint statement reads: “As Surrey MPs, we spend much of our time helping constituents whose children face unacceptable waits for appropriate SEND provision, yet too often contacting Surrey County Council gets nowhere.

“Our aim will always be to improve outcomes for the individuals we represent and better the systems and processes in place for the benefit of everyone in Surrey – a goal we would expect Surrey County Council to share.

“Instead, Surrey County Council’s decision to sever communication between our offices and the council in this manner contradicts these principles and shows disregard for the very people we are all here to serve: the residents of Surrey.

“This decision will make it even harder to raise our constituents’ cases with the council – many of whom have exhausted all possible routes.”