Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities to (a) simplify and (b) standardise the process for accessing (i) SEND funding and (ii) Education, Health, and Care Plans in early years settings.

As part of our strategy to give every child the best start in life, the department is committed to make it easier for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access early education and childcare by investing in the support available to them in the early years and improving the way funding is distributed to providers.

New early years inclusion funding will give providers additional resources to support inclusion and early intervention, helping to prevent needs from escalating. The department will work with local authorities to reduce bureaucracy, encourage greater consistency and ensure that support reaches the children who need it quickly.

The department works closely with local authorities where education, health and care plan timeliness is a concern, supporting them to identify challenges and put in place effective recovery plans. This includes specialist SEND adviser support where needed.

Further details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform, including for the early years, will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.