Central Beds Council denies claim it 'indirectly accused' parents of 'fabricated or inducing' children with SEND's illnesses

Central Bedfordshire Council has denied concerns raised in a social media post by campaigners representing the interests of families of children with SEND – who claimed it had “indirectly accused parents of fabricated or induced illness”.

The council said it was “unaware of any allegations”.

On its Facebook page, The Central Bedfordshire SEND action group described fabricated or induced illness as “a very serious allegation where a parent is accused of deliberately exaggerating or causing the child’s illness”.

The group explained: “It’s typically associated with extreme cases of abuse and isn’t something that should ever be used lightly. It’s deeply disturbing that CBC appears to be using this label to deflect from its failure to meet the local authority’s legal obligation to provide education for children.

“Accusing a parent, particularly one that’s desperately trying to secure even a basic level of education for a child, is not only unjust, it’s cruel. This tactic isn’t just a personal attack. It’s a distraction from systemic neglect. Families deserve support, not suspicion.”

A council spokesman said in a statement: “We’re not aware of any such allegations, but we’d urge any parent with serious concerns to raise these via our complaints procedure.

“This can be accessed at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/complaints.”