Young people SEND (with special educational needs and disabilities)
Download (PDF 1.02 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Suffolk undertake a large scale survey of the wellbeing of children and young people in Suffolk every year. This report looks at the latest survey results in relation to young people with special educational needs (SEND). This report is based on 2,120 survey responses.
Key findings
In general, young people’s average wellbeing has increased after record low scores for the last two years. However, scores for SEND students showed no meaningful difference.
Over a quarter of young people with SEND rarely or never felt optimistic about their future.
Around 1 in 5 (21%) young people with SEND had ‘low’ or ‘no risk’ of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
The most favoured suggestion for improvements in school or college for students with SEND was to have more awareness of mental health among staff and students (49%/ 952). This was followed by the need for more information about support options and where to access them (43%/ 833).
Over one in five students with SEND didn't have anyone at school or college that they could talk to about their mental health.
Students with SEND were more likely to express they were ‘very worried’ or ‘worried’ about the cost of living.
Students with SEND were more likely to worry about their weight (37%/717, compared to 27%/2,689 of their peers).
17% (327) of students with SEND vape, compared to 9% (945) of students without SEND. Most indicated that they liked the feeling it gives them.
Students with SEND were slightly more likely to say they were aware of local sexual health services, compared to students without SEND (18% vs. 17%).
Students with SEND were more likely to have heard or seen sexual harassment in their school/college.
Most students had received information about RSE topics. However, SEND students were more likely to say they had not received this information compared to peers