Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, published on 2 March 2023, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on that Department's approach to SEND workforce planning.

The department recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) frequently require access to additional support from a broad specialist workforce across education, health and care. Ministers have regular discussions on cross-government policy issues, such as the commitments set out in the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan. The Improvement Plan, which was published on 2 March 2023, was jointly signed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, and set out that both departments will work together to take a joint approach to SEND workforce planning. We will establish a steering group in 2023 to oversee this work, which will feed into the National SEND and AP Implementation Board. The Board will be jointly chaired by Education and Health ministers.