A constituency MP is inviting local residents to share their views on the special educational needs and disabilities system.

The Lewes representative James MacCleary, whose electoral area covers Seaford, Newhaven, Polegate and surrounding districts, has arranged two informal gatherings for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities to discuss problems with the current setup and proposals for national reform.

These meetings run alongside a UK-wide investigation launched by the government following the Schools White Document, which Mr MacCleary says is causing anxiety among families.

Mr MacCleary has called on ministers to incorporate the views of parents and carers into the consultation process, which finishes on May 18.

He expressed that if the government genuinely intends to overhaul the special educational needs and disabilities framework, it must first listen to the worries of people in his constituency and across the country.

Families in his constituency are exhausted from battling a system that is not working properly. These households experience repeated frustration.

He appealed to parents, caregivers or legal guardians of children with special educational needs and disabilities in his constituency to sign up for one of his sessions.

He wants to hear directly from them about their own experiences and their specific concerns about the government’s reform proposals.