Send crisis in England and Wales leaving children more vulnerable, says report

Children with Send are more likely to be excluded from school, leaving them vulnerable to predators and gangs. Photograph: Ben Molyneux/Shutterstock

The crisis in special needs education has left children vulnerable to criminal and sexual exploitation, experts have warned, as parents of victims described years of failed attempts to get support.

Last year, 7,432 children were referred to the national referral mechanism – the framework for identifying potential victims of trafficking and modern slavery in England and Wales.