Parents will have access to dedicated special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) professionals at new family hubs in a bid to identify children who need support before they start school.
Families of babies and toddlers will be able to access specialist SEND support within the Government’s new Best Start Family Hubs, which will start to be rolled out from 2028 in councils across England and Wales.
The move, announced by ministers, is aimed to bring in earlier identification of children with SEND, in an attempt to ease pressure on the creaking special educational needs system within schools.
Ministers are due to unveil root and branch reforms to the SEND system in schools, which the Government has described as being “on its knees” with parents forced to battle for months to secure support for their children, at often high costs to the public purse.
Under the new £500m Best Start hubs programme, local authorities will be expected to prioritise locating the new hubs in the most disadvantaged communities.
Announcing the plans, Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said SEND support was among the most important areas for families who require “early, expert help”, adding it can “make all the difference not only for parents, but for children’s life chances”.
While the Government will not set out its full reforms to SEND until it publishes its Schools White Paper in the New Year, it is understood that early intervention is being viewed as a key facet in tackling the struggling system.
It comes after a 2023 Institute for Fiscal Studies report found that access to SEND provision in Sure Start centres, the New Labour precursor to Best Start hubs, helped reduce the proportion of children requiring help later in life at ages seven, 11 and 16.
According to the Department for Education (DfE), the new plans will help parents better understand their child’s development and “identify emerging needs sooner” by joining up services between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams.
“For many families, this will mean getting answers, reassurance and help much earlier than the inherited system often provides.” the DfE said.
The plans have been announced ahead of the Government publishing its long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy, which is expected on Friday.
Your next read
square WARUK ‘entirely unprepared for war’ in face of Putin’s latest threats
square POLITICSKidney dialysis patients evacuated from Tunbridge Wells after five days without water
square REFORM UK ExclusiveReform targets Jenrick defection to destabilise Tories before next election
square PENSIONSReeves’s stealth tax on savers risks killing off pensioner vote for good
The full details of the SEND reforms are still under discussion, with the DfE opening a consultation with families and campaign groups on Tuesday, in a bid to counter opposition to the plans.
The overhaul is generally expected to see more SEND children educated in mainstream schools. Specialist provision is expected to be reserved for those with the most complex needs.
Ministers and MPs are most concerned about parents rejecting the proposals, who have fought through the system to secure specialist provision for their children through Education, Health and Care Plans.
Hence then, the article about send toddlers to be identified before they start school at new family hubs was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( SEND toddlers to be identified before they start school at new family hubs )
Also on site :
- Netanyahu’s office releases meeting footage, debunking assassination rumors
- Todd Meadows Cause of Death: What We Know About the 'Deadliest Catch' Star's Death so Far
- MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens