Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) local and (b) national funding is available for parents and close family members for studying advanced British Sign Language courses that enable them to communicate more effectively with their children.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority who determine which provision to fund for learners resident in their areas. Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners resident in non-devolved areas. Some providers of community learning offer BSL courses, and those providers determine the course fees, including levels of fee remission. For qualifications at level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans are available for certain BSL qualifications. BSL qualifications and the appropriate further education funding offer can be found here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. Eligible students will be able to apply for student support if their undergraduate course is designated for funding under The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011. If undertaking a BSL qualification that leads to a masters level qualification, eligible students can access a postgraduate loan, as long as they have not previously accessed the postgraduate loan product, or already hold a level 7 qualification. Several universities and organisations offer such qualifications.
There is a statutory duty, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, for local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of ‘children in need’ in their area, including disabled children, by providing appropriate services to them. Services for disabled children provided under Section 17 will typically include short breaks for parent carers, equipment or adaptations to the home, and support for parents.
Section H1 of an education, health and care plan must specify all services assessed as being needed for a disabled child or young person under 18, under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. This may include services to be provided for parent carers of disabled children, including following an assessment of their needs under the Children Act 1989. Where this assessment judges that the family needs provision to learn BSL, it could be included here.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper entitled National Disability Strategy: Part One: practical steps now to improve disabled people's everyday lives, published on 28 July 2021, what recent progress her Department has made on making playgrounds more inclusive as part of widening access to arts, culture, sport and the great outdoors.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Ensuring that playgrounds are accessible is an important part of driving forward inclusion for disabled children. The National Disability Strategy included an action to publish a new National Model Design code, supported by guidance, to stress the importance of providing accessible and inclusive play spaces and equipment for all. The new Code was published by the government in July 2021.
It is vitally important for all local authorities to consider their duties and legal obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 and ensure that new and refurbished play areas are accessible and inclusive.
I have continued to meet regularly with Ministerial Disability Champions across government to drive progress on priority areas for disabled people, including on accessible playgrounds.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to support parents of disabled children with the increasing cost of childcare.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is fully committed to supporting families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This is why children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan or children who qualify for the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are able to access the 2-year-old entitlement. The 2-year-old entitlement offers 15 hours free early education.
All children, including those with SEND, are eligible for 15 hours childcare per week from the term following their third birthday. Working parents may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare per week, known as 30 hours childcare, from the term after the child’s third birthday.
Working parents can apply for Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for extra hours of childcare. If eligible, parents of disabled children aged 0-16 can save up to £4,000 per year. Tax-Free Childcare can be used for childcare providers to purchase specialist equipment to support the child’s needs, such as mobility aids.
Working parents on a low income may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children aged 0-16.
Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's 2022-23 priorities and operational planning guidance, published in December 2021, how that guidance will operate to reduce the community service waiting lists for disabled children and their families.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Following publication of updated operational planning guidance in February 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement requested providers to outline plans to reduce community service waiting lists. This information is being reviewed as part of planning to support providers with service restoration in community health services.
National service development funding, alongside growth in local systems’ core funding allocations, will support systems to increase the overall capacity of community services to provide care for more patients, address waiting lists and develop and expand new models of community care.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published the Community Health Services Prioritisation Framework on 11 January 2022. This set an expectation that community health services, including therapy services and the provision of wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics and equipment for children and young people which have been delayed or paused as a result of COVID-19, should resume from 1 March 2022.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for disabled children to receive community equipment assessments.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to distribute documentation to all local authorities in England to reiterate their duty to (a) assess children in need and (b) provide equipment based on the findings of that assessment.
Answered by Will Quince
The department has published statutory guidance (Working Together to Safeguard Children), for all local authorities in England setting out the duties for assessment of children in need, including requirements for the publication of threshold documents and the framework for assessments. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2.
The guidance is clear that such assessments should focus on outcomes, providing clear decisions on which services and support should be provided to improve the welfare of the child. Guidance is clear that, for disabled children, this includes provision of special equipment under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
On 15 December 2021, Ministers from the Department for Education, Department for Health and Social Security and the Home Office sent a joint letter to all local safeguarding partners (including local authority chief executives) to re-emphasise their roles in safeguarding children as set out in Working Together.
Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the £10 billion in extra funding provided as part of covid-19 recovery planning will tackle the waiting times for disabled children to receive an equipment assessment; and what estimate he has made of the timeframe in which those waiting times will be reduced.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
In 2021/22, we have made £2 billion available and a further £8 billion from April 2022 to March 2025 to increase activity and reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million more checks, scans and procedures and deliver 30% more elective activity by 2024/25.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published the ‘Community health services prioritisation framework’ on 11 January 2022. This sets an expectation that community health services, including therapy services and the provision of wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics and equipment for children and young people which have been delayed or paused as a result of COVID-19, should resume from 1 March 2022.
Additionally, the ‘2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance’, published in December 2021, includes a requirement for systems to develop and agree a plan for reducing community service waiting lists. Systems and providers have been asked to ensure that no-one is waiting for longer than 104 weeks for elective care by July 2022 and eliminate waiting times of over 78 weeks by April 2023, except where patients choose to wait longer or in specific specialities.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in the report by the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Let Us Learn Too, The SEND Money Survey, that 33 per cent of parents and carers said that they could not afford to spend money on speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy in the last five years, that 26 per cent of parents and carers said that they had spent between £1,000 and £5,000 on those therapies and that 11 per cent said that had spent between £5,000 and £10,000 on those therapies.
Answered by Will Quince
The government recognises that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system does not consistently deliver the outcomes we want and expect for children and young people with SEND, their families or the people and services who support them, as highlighted by the SEND Money Survey conducted by Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.
We are conducting a Review of the SEND system and looking at ways to make sure the system is more consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health, and care. The outcome of that Review will be published as a green paper for full public consultation by the end of March 2022.
Throughout the Review, we have engaged with people and organisations, including representatives from Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership. We will continue to do so through a full, public consultation following publication.
We know that COVID-19 has impacted on services and, as a result, many specialist services have adjusted their delivery models during their recovery. As services resume, we are keen to ensure the right support is available and that children and young people are given access to therapies and equipment. We continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to look at ways to improve therapies access. In support of this, we issued joint guidance in September 2021 for education and health providers, working with a cross-sector group including the Royal Colleges and professional organisations. This guidance sets out the expectations for the delivery of specialist support for children and young people, and is available here: https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/about-cdc/media-centre/news-opinion/delivery-specialist-11-and-group-interventions-children-and.
Education policy is a devolved matter, so arrangements covering SEND policy and provision in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help disabled children and their families to access (1) therapies, (2) assessments, (3) medical interventions and (4) specialist equipment, in circumstances where they cannot afford them and do not receive adequate support from community services.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The NHS Constitution states that access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. These services, including those for disabled children, are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published Community services prioritisation framework on 11 January 2022. This sets an expectation that community health services, including therapy services and the provision of wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics and equipment for children and young people which have been delayed or paused as a result of COVID-19, should resume from 1 March 2022. A copy of the framework is attached. Additionally, 2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance, published in December 2021, includes a requirement for systems to develop and agree a plan for reducing community service waiting lists. A copy of the planning guidance is attached.
On 1 February 2022, we announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) over the next three years. This will focus on improving the delivery and monitoring of statutory SEND services by local authorities, health and care partners and improving access to high quality advice and support for parents, children, and young people.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring local authorities to include the need for after-school provision in the education, health and care plans of disabled children.
Answered by Will Quince
Local authorities, including City of York council, have a statutory duty ensure there are sufficient childcare places for working parents in their area with children aged 0-14, or up to 18 for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Parents may contact their local Family Information Service who can give advice on childcare providers in their area: https://www.yor-ok.org.uk/families/FIS/family-information-service.html.
We have prioritised these settings remaining open for all children, including those with SEND, throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and continue to encourage schools to offer this provision. The department has issued guidance to providers in this area to ensure they can continue to operate whilst reducing transmission of COVID-19, alongside accompanying guidance for parents and carers. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Short breaks services for children with SEND, sometimes known as respite care, allow young people to develop skills, wider social networks and independence. They also give parents a much needed rest from caring responsibilities. That is why in April 2011 the government introduced a statutory duty for all local authorities to provide a range of short breaks to meet local needs. The duty also requires them to consult upon and publish a short breaks duty statement which sets out clearly what is available locally and how it can be accessed, including any eligibility criteria.
Additionally, councils will be funded £30 million for the next three years to set up more than 10,000 additional respite placements, helping to provide positive opportunities for disabled children and young people.
While it is for individual authorities to decide what level and type of short break support to offer, and to set their own eligibility criteria, they have received help from central government in meeting their statutory duties through an investment of £800 million between April 2011 and March 2015 in un-ringfenced grants. In each of 2011-12 and 2012-13, an additional £40 million in un-ringfenced capital funding was made available for short breaks to allow them to invest in additional equipment and infrastructure.