Long awaited change in respect of supporting children and young people with special needs
Within the context of rapidly growing demand and serious budget pressures for local authorities the Government has outlined a raft of changes to the support for children and young people with special education needs and disability within the White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving.
These will be encompassed in a decade long process of change.
We have already had announcements in respect of support for teacher training and a push to recruit education psychologists.
The government has also agreed to take on 90% of the local authority overspend in England to the end of this financial year – this to remove the threat of immediate financial insolvency for some local authorities to that date.
The follow up announcements still lack some detail, and the wider reaction seems to be one of a recognition that the needed changes are being rolled out, this alongside expressions of worry and concern from individual parents and parent groups as to transition assessments and access to support for those who children who do not meet the definition of highest need.
The standards which will be linked to the transition assessment process and linked national inclusion standards (by 2028) are yet to be presented.
Some of the headline changes will include:
Layers of access - targeted, targeted plus and specialist. All of these children will have an Individual Support Plan (ISP):
Targeted - structured support such as speech and language support in small groups or help with managing sensory needs. This will be recorded in their digital Individual Support Plan, developed by schools and in partnership with parents.
Targeted Plus – more specialist support from education and health professionals, including Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists. This will be delivered in partnership with the ‘Experts at Hand Offer’. This will also be recorded through their Individual Support Plan.
Specialist – children with complex needs will get comprehensive, specialist support through a Specialist Provision Package and EHCP in a mainstream or specialist setting. The detail day to day support they will receive will be recorded in their Individual Support Plan.
By 2035, only children with the most complex needs will qualify for EHCPs.
The transition point from primary to secondary provision will be a point of assessment for continuing need.
Children who already have an EHCP, or who have been assessed as needing one, will keep them until they finish whichever phase of education they are in - primary or secondary school, for example.
Starting from September 2029 – they will be reassessed.
Parents can still apply for an EHCP and challenge at a Tribunal.
Children may have a new Individual Support Plan - these are seen as being flexible, day to day plans which will change in order to meet need.
Children with an EHCP will also have an ISP – this to support the day-to-day plans for the child and monitoring of EHCP target achievement.
Inclusion is a key theme of the white paper with national inclusion standards to be developed. Inclusion bases will offer a dedicated space in a mainstream school that can offer specialist teaching or targeted support for children and young people with additional needs.
What are “Experts at Hand”?
The new Experts at Hand service will increase the support available in mainstream schools, colleges and nurseries by offering access to specialist expertise. This includes occupational therapy, educational psychology, and speech and language therapy support. Local areas will access funding in order to set up this service.
Special Schools
The government note that:
“Special schools are specifically designed for pupils with complex needs, with tailored support and specialist equipment such as sensory appliances and communication aids.
As well as the funding for local authorities, we’re improving the availability of these facilities through the special free school’s programme.
108 of these schools are now open and 92 more will open in due course, which includes the 30 new successful applications to run special free schools.”
There are also ongoing conversations and reflections in respect of the independent special school provisions and costs .
These are just some of the suggestions for change over the next decade. A consultation will run for twelve weeks.
We will continue to monitor changes, information as it is published and will keep you up to date. We will also continue to develop and deliver our range of specific webinars and training / support for colleagues as the changes roll out.
Read the Policy paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
Read the Open consultation: SEND reform: putting children and young people first
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