Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Specialist Provision Packages are co-produced with (a) children and young people and (b) families.

Specialist Provision Packages will be nationally defined, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people whose requirements cannot be met in mainstream settings, even with enhanced special educational needs (SEN) support. Packages will support local authorities to commission provision and placements more strategically and will provide the basis for the legal guarantee of provision set out in an education, health and care plan.

An independent expert panel will oversee development, drawing on evidence from academics, practitioners, and health and care professionals.

The panel will also engage with stakeholders to make sure their recommendations are informed by a wide range of views and lived experience, including a parental engagement group.

Packages will be developed by sector experts, including specialist and mainstream headteachers, multi-academy trust leaders, local authority commissioners, and specialist practitioners such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

The department will actively involve parents and families in testing and refining the packages.