Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the extent to which proposed SEND reforms will improve coordination between schools, local authorities, and mental health services in identifying and supporting children with complex educational and mental health needs at an earlier stage.

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of the SEND consultation, the government committed to strengthening local SEND partnerships and planning across the country. The response to the consultation will set out how the department will strengthen partnership and multi-agency working across the country, including early years settings, Best Start Family Hubs, and wider partners, to ensure need is identified at the earliest possible point. The Information Sharing Duty of the Children Wellbeing and Schools Act, which commences on 30 September, will further support multi agency information sharing to improve earlier identification of need in relation to promoting the welfare of children.