Study: council SEND case officers act as gatekeepers, not caseworkers

A study by Dr Pooja Sharma in Support for Learning examines the relationship between council SEND case officers and parent carers. It describes officers as gatekeepers facing heavy caseloads and limited authority, who feel like "human shields" for council decisions. The article says parents are left doing the casework, and calls for an independent key worker system. Source: Special Needs Jungle