As council cuts costs due to effective bankruptcy, parents face an exhausting battle to get support for their children

• £100m spent on failed efforts to block Send support
• Analysis: Why England’s Send system is buckling

It was as a last resort that Paul McAnenny launched an online fundraiser to help him pay for the fuel needed to drive his son to a special school on the other side of Birmingham, a 90-minute round trip on top of the school run for his two older daughters.

Three-year-old Tommy, who is deaf and has Charge syndrome, which affects his breathing and heart, was given a space at the school through an education health and care plan (EHCP) earlier this year to help with his early learning and development – crucial for someone with his condition.