UK education secretary talks of battle to get support for nephew with Down’s syndrome

Exclusive: Gillian Keegan opens up about 16-year-old relative as government prepares to publish Send improvement plan

The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, has described her family’s battle to get the right support for her nephew, who has Down’s syndrome, as the government prepares to publish its improvement plan for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Keegan said the experiences of her 16-year-old nephew Joseph and his family had shown her first-hand how parents of children with Send have to fight every step of the way for the support they need.