SEN news

Government Publishes SEND Review Green Paper

The Department for Education in England has published its long-awaited plans in a Green Paper more than two years after its SEND review was launched.

The SEND review sets out the Government’s proposals for a system in England that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives.

It is a response to the widespread recognition that the system is failing to deliver for children, young people and their families. In particular, the proposals look at the specific challenges facing the alternative provision sector, and proposed potential solutions.

The review has identified 3 key challenges facing the SEND and alternative provision system.

1. Navigating the SEND system and alternative provision is not a positive experience for too many children, young people and their families.

2. Outcomes for children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision are consistently worse than their peers across every measure.

3. Despite the continuing and unprecedented investment, the system is not financially sustainable.

The review concludes that there is a need for much greater consistency in how needs are identified and supported, so decisions are made based on a child or young person’s needs in co-production with families, not where they live or the setting they attend.

The review proposes to: • establish a new national SEND and alternative provision system setting nationally consistent standards for how needs are identified and met

• create new local SEND partnerships bringing together education, health and care partners with local government • support parents and carers to express an informed preference for a suitable placement • introduce a standardised and digitised EHCP process and template • streamline the redress process to make it easier to resolve disputes earlier. In terms of funding and resources, the review commits to: • invest an additional £1 billion in 2022 to 2023 to support children and young people with the most complex needs • invest £2.6 billion, over the next 3 years, to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision • fund more than 10,000 additional respite placements and invest £82 million in a network of family hubs • invest £18 million, over the next 3 years to build capacity in the supported internships programme • The review proposes a reformed and integrated role for alternative provision, including: • make alternative provision an integral part of local SEND systems • give alternative provision schools the funding stability to deliver a service focused on early intervention • develop a bespoke performance framework for alternative provision • deliver greater oversight and transparency on children and young people’s movements into and out of alternative provision • launch a call for evidence, before the summer, on the use of unregistered provision to investigate existing practice

The plans to reform the system are now open for a 13-week public consultation, closing on the 1st July.

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Every child has the right to excellent education - particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, who often need the most support.

“We are launching this consultation because too often this isn’t the case. We want to end the postcode lottery of uncertainty and poor accountability that exists for too many families, boost confidence in the system across the board and increase local mainstream and specialist education to give parents better choice.

“I want to make sure everyone knows what to expect, when to expect it and where the support should come from. I know there are strongly held views and I want to hear from as many parents, teachers and children with experience of the system so they can help shape a future policy that works for them.”

A response to the SEND Review

Annamarie Hassall MBE, nasen CEO and Chair of Whole

School SEND, said: “The release of the SEND and AP green paper represents a pivotal moment and we recognise the hard work that has gone into the process so far. nasen will play a key role in mobilising members of the workforce to respond to the consultation. By taking collective action to include nasen’s community of 56,000 members – representing over half of schools – we can ensure this framework is shared widely. The paper’s ambitions must become a reality, and make a real difference in classrooms and all settings across England.

“Achieving access to an equal and excellent education, for each and every child and young person, is rooted in high aspirations and inclusive environments. Whether in the early years, or through to supporting our young people at age 25, access to a high-quality education, which identifies and meets needs effectively, offers choices, and establishes routes to meaningful employment, is a fundamental human right – it should not be ‘luck of the draw’. In 2022, given everything we know about what works and best practice, continued inequalities between learners with SEND and their peers is unacceptable, and must be addressed.

“nasen shares the government’s vision for a stronger national system to support children with SEND and their families. Put simply, we want to see better outcomes for learners with SEND being delivered. Our hope is that real change will lead to improved attainment, greater attendance, fewer exclusions, enhanced family satisfaction in provision, better preparation for adulthood, improved mental health and wellbeing, and ultimately more successes in higher education, employment and independent living.

“We currently face the sad reality that, despite there being lots of excellent practice for SEND in education, our system remains fragile, and has been for years. It has been pushed further to the brink by a long and brutal pandemic, resulting in a staggering impact on the mental health of children and young people, increased absences from school, and a stretched workforce that has operated above and beyond to support children and their families in these challenging times.

“This paper clearly recognises that we must urgently resolve the postcode lottery around securing an education, health and care Plan (EHCP). We need to simplify the EHCP process, making it more flexible with less red tape, and supporting parents and carers to make informed decisions without them feeling like they are regularly battling the system. By improving oversight and transparency, we will help drive better outcomes.

“It is also critical that we resolve the inequalities in funding that supports pupils with SEND, and those with additional needs. These inequalities are currently leading to the rationing of vital therapeutic services, such as speech and language therapy, and mental health support. Proposals to strengthen accountability across the education, health and care systems, enabling it to be more transparent and consistent, will boost parent and carer confidence. We welcome this aspiration to make the right services available at the right time, when they can make the biggest difference, irrespective of where a young person lives.”

Tim Nicholls, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research

Partnerships at the National Autistic Society, said: “We hear awful stories of autistic children who spend months, even years, shut out of education because there’s no school or support to meet their needs. This isn’t new, it’s been happening for years.

“We’re pleased to see long-awaited plans from the Government to improve the SEND system. Commitments to make mainstream schools more inclusive could make a world of difference to the more than 70% of autistic children who go to those schools. But while there are promises to improve training, we’re disappointed that the Government hasn’t taken the opportunity to set a clear target for all teachers to have autism training. “Changes to make the process of getting Education, Health and Care Plans simpler could help families who are too often pushed to breaking point, but parents of autistic children across England will know that the detail of these proposals will be crucial. Our recent research report found that a quarter of parents had to wait over three years to receive support for their child. This is unacceptable.

“We won’t accept a world where so many autistic children are falling behind and so many families are being left exhausted and on the edge of crisis. Today’s proposals are a start. But the Government needs to keep listening to autistic people and their families to make sure the changes create an education system that works for autistic children.”