Written Question
Thursday 16th May 2024
Asked by:
Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for children to receive (a) SEN assessments and (b) mental health treatment in Morley and Outwood constituency.
Answered by David Johnston
The department wants to ensure that Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments, where required, are conducted as quickly as possible, so that children and young people can access the support they need. In March 2023, the government set out its plans to reform and improve the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system through its SEND and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan. The plan commits to establishing a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND, so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and are well prepared for adulthood and employment. Wakefield, Leeds, Calderdale and Bradford are in the SEND Change Programme, representing the Yorkshire and Humber region, to test these reforms. Specifically, these reforms focus on early intervention, improving the quality of EHC plans, streamlining the EHC plan process, reducing conflicts within the EHC plan system through better co-production and ultimately enhancing outcomes for children and young people.
The mental health of children is a national priority for this government and the department recognises that some children will need specialist support for their mental health issues. The department is supporting children and young people nationally, including those in the Morley and Outwood area, in the expansion and transformation of mental health services through an increase in spending through the NHS overall, as well as improved access to early mental health support.
To expand access to early mental health support, the department is continuing to roll out Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to schools and colleges. As of April 2024, MHSTs now covers 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. The department is extending coverage of MHSTs to at least 50% of pupils and learners by the end of March 2025.
The department has also committed to offering all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025, enabling them to introduce effective whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. So far 16,700 settings have claimed a grant so far, including more than 8 in 10 state-funded secondary schools.
Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 27 Oct 2022
Colleges Week 2022
"It is, as always, a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Murray. I start by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Peter Aldous) on securing this important debate. I am well aware that further education colleges are an important part of education in his constituency. There are …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 27 Oct 2022
Colleges Week 2022
"Thank you, Mrs Murray.
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for West Worcestershire for the great work she does on the APPG on global education. I also thank the hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows) for the great work she has done in the sector. My sister …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Colleges Week 2022
Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 27 Oct 2022
Colleges Week 2022
"Sorry. I thank the hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw for discussing how important it is for us to build up strong relationships with our devolved nations. I will work on doing that with my counterparts. It was wonderful to hear the story of how FE has helped one of …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Colleges Week 2022
Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 27 Oct 2022
Colleges Week 2022
"I will cover those points later in my speech.
My BTEC experience—I studied for a BTEC national in business and finance—helped me on my way; importantly, I gained transferable skills. I fully recognise that others like me—and indeed not like me, which is a real beauty of the FE sector—will …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Colleges Week 2022
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"Local skills improvement plans place employers at the heart of local school systems, facilitating more dynamic working arrangements between employers and training providers to make technical education more responsive to employers’ needs in the area. All areas in England now have a designated employer representative body in place to lead …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I know that my hon. Friend is a real advocate for colleges in his area and I thank him for his question. Local skills improvement plans will forge stronger and more dynamic partnerships between employers and providers that will enable training to be more responsive to local skills needs. The …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I was at a reception for our Love Our Colleges campaign. I am a true advocate on this matter and one thing I am passionate about is the parity of esteem between vocational and technical qualifications and academic qualifications. I ask Members please to put their trust in us as …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"We are investing in programmes that support science, technology and digital skills so that learners of all ages—including my young son, who is up in the Public Gallery supporting mummy today—are equipped to fulfil careers in the likes of computer numerical control operation. We are delivering on that objective through …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I understand that things are uncertain, as my hon. Friend’s two colleges are merging at the moment, but the level 3 engineering technician apprenticeships provide CNC content and there are more than 140 providers of that training, including three with national coverage. I would also like to look at our …..."Andrea Jenkyns - View Speech
View all Andrea Jenkyns (Con - Morley and Outwood) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions