Asked by: James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to reduce the time taken to process special educational needs and disabilities applications for education, health and care plans.
Answered by David Johnston
The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) plan applications are processed promptly and, where required, plans are issued 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 SEND and AP Improvement 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.
As part of these reforms, the department is currently testing measures to deliver a nationally consistent EHC plan system to improve the quality and speed with which support is put in place. The department is also considering the skills and training which local authority caseworker teams require and is offering some short-term legal training to local authority caseworker teams.
Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with SEND, we work with them using a range of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address weaknesses.
The department is monitoring Sandwell’s EHC plan performance and is offering specialist support through a specialist SEND Advisor. Following the Ofsted and CQC visit in July 2023, three areas for improvement were identified. The local area has published its Sandwell Local Area Partnership Inclusion (SEND and AP) Plan 2023/2026 and progress on improvement will be continuously monitored by the department and NHS England.
Following the Ofsted and CQC re-visit to Dudley in February 2022, an Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) was put in place to address six areas of weakness. EHC plan timeliness was not identified as an area of weakness, although through the APP, the department, along with a specialist SEND Advisor and NHS England, works closely with the local area to ensure they are supported in addressing issues and driving improvements to services, including continuous improvement in EHC plan timeliness.
Asked by: James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a statutory duty of care for higher education institutions to students aged 18 and over.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The mental health and wellbeing of students, including suicide prevention, is a government priority. The department has been working closely with higher education (HE) providers and health colleagues to ensure that students are well supported during their time at university. We expect all HE providers to take suicide prevention with the utmost seriousness, focusing on prevention, providing information and places for students to find help, actively identifying students at risk, and intervening with swift support when needed.
HE providers are autonomous organisations, independent from the government. HE providers have a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably to protect the health, safety and welfare of their students. HE providers have a duty of care to not cause harm to their students through the university’s own actions.
Students with disabilities, including mental health impairments, are protected under the Equality Act 2010 which prohibits discrimination and imposes a duty on HE providers to make reasonable adjustments where disabled students are put at a substantial disadvantage.
The NHS has statutory responsibility for delivering mental health services to the whole population, including students.
We work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Office for Students (OfS), and the HE sector to support the student population. We have asked the OfS to distribute £15 million of funding this year as additional support to help students with the transition from schools and colleges to university. This is also to fund partnerships between universities and local NHS services to provide pathways of care for university students.
The department has been vocal in our support for the University Mental Health Charter, led by Student Minds and developed in collaboration with students, staff, and partner organisations. The Charter aims to drive up standards of practice across the HE sector. 60 universities on the Charter Programme form part of a UK-wide practice sharing network with access to events and opportunities to come together to improve their whole university approach to student and staff mental health. Programme members can also work towards the Charter Award, an accreditation scheme which recognises universities that demonstrate excellent practice.
The department has appointed university Vice-Chancellor Edward Peck as HE's first ever Student Support Champion. His role is to provide sector leadership and promoting effective practice in areas including mental health and information sharing. Professor Peck is engaging with families who have suffered bereavement due to students taking their own life during their time at university.
Asked by: James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to increase the quality of apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
New industry-designed standards are driving up quality, such as the project management apprenticeship developed by employers. We have increased off-the-job training and introduced rigorous end-point assessments so apprentices are occupationally competent. We’ve also strengthened the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers giving employers confidence apprentices will receive high-quality training.