Yesterday afternoon we joined @thurrockjen.bsky.social in parliament for a drop-in information session for MPs where they met with families, carers, disabled children and representatives from @contactfamilies.bsky.social @sensecharity.bsky.social @mencap.org.uk and @speechandlanguk.bsky.social

Education Committee Chair, Helen Hayes, and Health and Social Care Committee Chair, Layla Moran, are calling for support for the Education, Health and Care Plan amendment to the Health Bill.

Fantastic to sponsor an event marking the 80th anniversary of @mencap.org.uk! Recent decades have seen improved rights and opportunities for people with learning disabilities, but there is much, much more to do. Looking forward to another year of working alongside this excellent organisation.

My statement on the EHRC Code of Practice

A statement on the Labour leadership.

It's good to have the Prime Minister's support on my campaign to improve the safety of women and girls in hotels, after this horrendous incident at Travelodge.

Great to chair a joint meeting of the APPGs on Learning Disability, Autism, and ADHD. Thanks so much to @mencap.org.uk for setting it up, and @georgiagould.bsky.social for joining us.

Following an appalling sexual assault at a Travelodge, I’ve brought together a group of MPs to demand a meeting with the company's CEO. We need to see an urgent review of their security policies, so horrific incidents like this can never happen again.

I’ve written to Travelodge demanding an urgent meeting about this disturbing case. This horrific incident was an appalling failure in the hotel’s duty of care. It raises deeply concerning questions about security procedures and guest safety - which Travelodge must now meet with MPs to answer.

Politicians seek meeting with Travelodge CEO after Maidenhead sexual assault case

Call for urgent meeting comes after woman was assaulted by man who had been given her key card by hotel staff

theguardian.com

Absolutely horrified to read this in the news today. It's appalling and should never have been allowed to take place. Travelodge need to review their security policies urgently. Women deserve to feel safe in hotels. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How Travelodge in Maidenhead gave sex attacker key to woman's room

The woman, who woke to find Kyran Smith sexually assaulting her, branded a £30 reward offer

bbc.co.uk

It was good to speak to the Mirror about my priorities for reforming the SEND system, ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper today. As a SEND parent myself, I came to Parliament determined to secure real change for families like mine 👇 www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

'I'm an MP and SEND parent - I'm hopeful of no longer fighting for basic rights'

Labour MP and special educational needs and disability (SEND) parent Jen Craft writes for The Mirror as the government prepares to announce major overhaul of broken system

mirror.co.uk

"We must stop treating speech and language support as optional." An incredibly powerful article from @thurrockjen.bsky.social 👏👏 It's time the Government saw speech and language support "not as an expense but as an upfront investment"!

Why government must invest in speech and language therapy

We can't close the gap if we allow communication skills to go unmet at this alarming scale

schoolsweek.co.uk

Parents voices must be at the heart of upcoming reforms to the SEND system. Thank you to everyone who’s completed my survey – I’ve had over 100 responses! www.surveymonkey.com/r/JenCraftMPSendSurvey If you need an easy read version, email jen.craft.mp@parliament.uk (Thurrock residents only)

I want to hear from you about fixing our broken SEND system. If you're the parent or carer of a child in Thurrock with special educational needs or a disability, please fill in my survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/MG8ST6Q I'm determined that parents' voices are at the heart of the upcoming changes.

Latest report on govt use of BSL is testament to the progress made since 2022, with new departmental plans to continue growing awareness. Clearly much more to do to embed needs of deaf signers at the heart of govt, which I will keep pushing for as chair of the BSL APPG. www.gov.uk/government/p...

British Sign Language (BSL) third report, May 2024 to April 2025

A report which details what the government is doing to promote and facilitate the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in its communications with the public.

gov.uk

Great to speak at the East of England APPG meeting on Health Innovation yesterday. A big thank you to @healthinnoveast.bsky.social for the work you're doing to improve prevention efforts across the East.

SEND parents are furious that we have to spend time and energy we do not have, fighting against a system designed by successive Conservative governments to deny our children the support they need. Change is coming under Labour, but after a decade of failure, parents are understandably anxious. /1

97 years ago this week, women finally won the right to vote on equal terms with men. Now, we have a record 264 female MPs in parliament. We owe this success to the women who came before us. I think our grandmothers would be proud to see how far we’ve come since they first went to the ballot box.

I have chosen to sign a reasoned amendment which aims to halt the progress of the government’s welfare bill. While I recognise the need for reform, I have serious concerns around the impacts of the proposed legislation - particularly for disabled people.

If an unmarried women looses her partner during pregnancy, she must undergo a traumatic legal process to register their name on the child's birth certificate. I've proposed a bill that seeks to provide a simple process for bereaved mothers, dragging outdated legislation into the 21st century.

This week, I asked Education Minister @cmckinnellmp.bsky.social about the progress in delivering the British Sign Language GCSE. As Chair of the BSL APPG, I've been working hard with fellow MPs and @bda.org.uk to get this lifechanging qualification introduced at the earliest opportunity.

🗯️ 'Changing culture, one voice at a time' Reflecting on MP Jen Craft's recent speech sharing her lived experience, @andybell-centremh.bsky.social explores the power of MPs speaking out about mental health to fight stigma and foster culture change: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/changing-cul...

Brilliant to see the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee taking effect in Thurrock, with eight new neighbourhood officers now on the beat thanks to this funding. Constituents want visible, local policing. This is an excellent first step, and an important investment in our police force.

The aims of the government’s Mental Health Bill can only be achieved when learning disabled and autistic people have access to proper community support. We need a system of integrated care that encompasses health, housing and occupational needs👇

Mencap@mencap.org.uk · last yr.

1/3 📢 On Monday, MPs debated the Mental Health Bill in Parliament. MP Jen Craft @thurrockjen.bsky.social, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) on Learning Disability, and other MPs called on the Government for a plan to develop sufficient community support #MentalHealthBill

For people with learning disabilities or autism, a locked mental health ward can be a living hell. Under the 1983 Mental Health Act, these conditions alone can be used to justify detention. I strongly welcome the government’s new Mental Health Bill, which will help end this shameful practise.

In a debate on the Mental Health Bill, I spoke about my personal experience of serious mental illness. While I have received good care, this is sadly the exception, and not the rule. Too often, treatment is patronising, reductive, and inconsistent. /1

A real honour to attend so many community events in Thurrock marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. An opportunity to celebrate that famous victory, while reflecting on those who sacrificed so much to defend our country and our freedoms.

Gambling can cause serious harm. Financial, physical, and mental harm. In England, there are 117 to 496 gambling-related suicides every year. We're calling on Government to act now. Read more: committees.parliament.uk/committee/81...

Ahead of #VEDay80, I reflected in Parliament on the remarkable social change brought about by the end of the war. As 300,000 disabled servicemen and women returned home, attitudes toward disability changed – leading to groundbreaking legislation considering the needs of disabled people.

On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we pay tribute to those who defended our nation and our freedom. It's an opportunity for us to reflect on the extraordinary bravery of the wartime generation, in Thurrock and across the country, and celebrate the British values they fought to defend.