It's a term we often use, myself included, but it's a term that obscures the real issue.
Describing children’s needs as "complex" is a catch-all phrase that fails to capture the true nature of what these children and their families are experiencing. Whether they have multiple physical health conditions, are in care and have been excluded from school, or have experienced trauma in addition to having a disability, the root problem lies not in their needs but in our systems.
When we label needs as "complex," it suggests that the children themselves are the problem, that there is something inherently difficult about them that requires fixing. In reality, their needs are quite straightforward: they need consistent love and care, emotional support, opportunities for learning, and engaging social activities to aid their development and build relationships. The complexity arises from our systems.
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