Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are anxious to know what kind of support they will get under a looming overhaul of the system.
Labour has promised major SEND reforms in a bid to address a funding crisis among local authorities struggling to cope with rising demand.
The i Paper revealed last week that the Government plans to create a new four-tier system when it comes to SEND provision.
The Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) – which legally entitle children to get support – will be reserved for those children whose needs cannot be met under the four tiers.
The Government wants more SEND pupils to be taught in mainstream schools, setting aside £200m to boost training among teachers.
Under the plans, pupils with any additional needs would start by receiving “universal” support. But if this is not enough, they will move through the new tiers – from highest to lowest – until their needs are met.
If their needs cannot be met by even the highest tier, a child could qualify for an EHCP, which provides extra funding and specialist support beyond what mainstream schools usually offer.
What happens to current EHCPs?
Parents have previously told The i Paper they fear that their children may be “lost through the cracks” if they are stripped of EHCP support under the reforms.
The Government is not scrapping them entirely – but it is not clear what happens to different families who currently have the specialist support packages in place.
Parents have protested against council cuts to SEND provision (Photo: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket /Getty)Children born with the most severe and complex needs, such as cerebral palsy, will get an EHCP from birth, it is understood.
But children whose needs progress over time will be expected to go through the four-tiered system. Some parents are alarmed at the idea of losing hard-won EHCPs.
The Department for Education (DfE) has only said that “effective” existing support would be protected, without clarifying what this means.
How will children be selected for each tier?
The lowest tier is expected to cover those with the least severe needs. The highest tier will cover the highest level of needs, outside of an EHCP.
But it is not yet clear how the pupils will be selected for each tier, and whether a detailed assessment will be needed for each one.
Local authorities currently carry out assessments for ECHPs, and can involve getting evidence from doctors, teachers and an educational psychologist.
The i Paper understands that the detail on each of the four new tiers will be finalised in the coming days.
All children with additional needs will get an “individual support passport” – a digital document aimed at making their needs accessible through primary and secondary school.
When does it start and what happens to SEND children before then?
The SEND reforms are unlikely to come in until the 2029-30 school year at the earliest.
The final details of the plans are set to be unveiled in the Schools White Paper in February. The overhaul was delayed in the autumn amid fears of a rebellion by Labour MPs.
“They know they don’t want to repeat the chaos that took place over welfare reforms,” one senior backbencher previously told The i Paper.
It is possible that a dual system could be running while councils and Government switch over to a new way of doing things.
So some families might retain existing EHCPs for the long-term, but new applicants might find it harder to get this form of support.
What happens to my child’s school transport provision?
It is also unclear what happens to transport provision for the parents who get funding so their children can get to and from school.
Labour ministers want SEND funding absorbed into central Government budgets, rather than come through the money given to local authorities.
There will be a £6bn black hole between expected spending and funding needed by 2028–29, the Office for Budget Responsibility has warned ministers.
The Local Government Association has said that transport provision – and appropriate funding for it – must also be part of the Government’s plan.
Councils’ annual spending on transport for under-16 SEND pupils is set to reach £3bn by 2030, according to the National Audit Office.
Some councils are already beginning to cut back spending on SEND transport provision and restrict provision, having overspent on this area.
A DfE spokesperson said the department does not comment on speculation ahead of the white paper.
They said reforms “will fix what isn’t working in the system, strengthen support for those who need it and protect parents’ rights”.
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