Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision (AP) across England will receive high-quality, early support, regardless of where they live in the country. This comes as part of the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, which was published on March 2nd.
The plan involves significant investment in training for thousands of workers, enabling them to provide children with the help they need earlier. Additionally, thousands of specialist school places will be made available to those with the greatest needs, with 33 new special free schools being approved to be built as of today.
The system’s transformation will be underpinned by new national SEND and AP standards, which will provide families with confidence in the support they should receive, regardless of their location. New guides for professionals will also be developed, ensuring that they can provide the right support to children according to their unique experiences. These guides will outline how to make adjustments to classrooms to help a child remain in mainstream education, for example.
To simplify the process of accessing support for parents and carers, the plan aims to cut local bureaucracy by ensuring that the process for assessing children and young people’s needs through Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is quicker, digital-first, and simpler wherever possible.
This package is part of the government’s significant investment in children and young people with SEND and in AP, with investment increasing by over 50% compared to 2019-20, totaling over £10 billion by 2023-24.
The plan includes expanded training for staff, ranging from up to 5,000 early years special educational needs coordinators to 400 educational psychologists, covering a wide range of educational needs. An apprenticeship for teachers of sensory impairments will be developed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
The £70 million change program will work over the next two to three years with selected local authorities in nine regions, working alongside families to implement, test, and refine longer-term plans. Options for strengthening mediation, as well as new digital requirements for local authority EHCP processes, are included in this.
The plan was developed after extensive engagement with around 6,000 consultation responses and 175 events, ensuring that the new reforms take into account the views of children, young people, parents, and carers. A plan has been established to create a lasting and viable SEND and AP system by providing a definitive pathway.
Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, said that children with SEND and their families have felt penalized by a system that doesn’t support their needs for too long. The plan’s focus on early help, as well as the increase in specialist school places, was praised by her as it will prevent families from reaching breaking point. She also welcomed the move to make EHC Plans digital, standardized, and more focused on what each child wants.
The SEND and AP Improvement Plan aims to provide all children with the opportunity to receive high-quality education and support, regardless of their needs or location, while also making the process of accessing this support as simple and straightforward as possible for parents and carers.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
