A co‐produced analysis of SEND policy for children and young people: Centring racial and ethnic equity, mental health and accountability

Abstract Despite decades of documented ethnic inequalities in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), the well‐established role of social determinants of health and growing awareness of cultural safety and trauma‐informed practices in supporting children's mental health, their integration into England's SEND policy remains unclear. This study, co‐produced with peer researchers and community stakeholders, examined national and local SEND policy and guidelines in England across three domains: justice and equity; content related to mental health, cultural safety and trauma‐informed practice; and effective implementation. Systematic searches of national documents ( n = 129) and Local Authority websites ( n = 152) identified eligible content analysed using a co‐developed coding framework. We calculated the frequency of content meeting baseline criteria and examined patterns and implications. Findings revealed current policy does not align with aspects of equitable and effective policy. Inequalities are superficially acknowledged with little recognition of social determinants of health. Although SEND provision, particularly for mental health, sits at the crossroads of education and health/healthcare rights, this connection is rarely addressed and requirements for children's participation are inconsistently exemplified. The SEND system lacks clarity in supporting mental health, cultural safety approaches are absent, and clear direction on trauma‐informed practices is missing. Accountability mechanisms are insufficient with poorly defined roles, lack of transparency in complaints processes, inadequate monitoring of inequalities and missing enforcement mechanisms. There is an urgent need to establish a unified rights‐based vision with tangible accountability measures and explicit equity‐orientation to achieve an inclusive and equitable system.