Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of risk of SEND reforms reducing access to appropriate provision for children and young people with the most complex needs.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system inherited by this government has lost the confidence of many families and is not delivering the support children and young people need. The department has consulted on reforms to improve the system so that in future families no longer have to fight for support, and children and young people with SEND receive the provision they need quicker and closer to home.

Our reforms intend to improve the quality and consistency of support for children with complex needs. Under the proposals, children and young people requiring a Specialist Provision Package (SPP) would be eligible for an education, health and care (EHC) plan. SPPs will underpin EHC plan entitlements, be developed with experts, including parents, and overseen by an independent expert panel. They will ensure a high quality evidence based offer for all children and young people with complex needs.

We will also improve support available without the need for an EHC plan. This includes proposals to ensure settings identify and meet need, including a legal duty to develop Individual Support Plans. This will be supported by new National Inclusion Standards and our ongoing investment to build mainstream capacity.

The impact of these proposals is set out in the published ‘SEND Reform: Equalities Impact Assessment’, which includes projections of how children and young people may be affected. We have also tested the proposals with SEND sector experts and practitioners, and consultation responses will help inform the final reforms and impact assessments.