Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on maintaining (a) a named accountable case officer, (b) continuity of communication with families and (c) a single written action plan where a child’s education, health and care plan is simultaneously subject to Tribunal proceedings, complaints, placement commissioning and outstanding provision; and whether those requirements will be included in the revised SEND Code of Practice and National Inclusion Standards.

The statutory guidance on the education, health and care plan system, the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2015, explains expectations on local authorities for working with families. The code also reflects a range of statutory duties on local authorities about how they must communicate their decisions to families and provide them with information and support.

The department has consulted on a range of proposals to strengthen the SEND system. We are carefully reviewing all responses submitted to the consultation alongside feedback from engagement events. We will set out our response in due course.