Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a plan to support disabled children through education and social care.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.
The Law Commission are currently undertaking a review of disabled children’s social care legislation. The Law Commission are expected to submit their final recommendations to the government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to reform the social care system for disabled children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.
The Law Commission are currently undertaking a review of disabled children’s social care legislation. The Law Commission are expected to submit their final recommendations to the government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan published in March 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure families have confidence in the mediation process set out in that plan.
Answered by David Johnston
The reforms set out in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision Improvement Plan are geared towards making families’ overall experience of the SEND system more positive through more collaborative, consistent and transparent decision-making, thereby increasing parental confidence and leading to a less adversarial system.
The department wants to rebalance the SEND system through earlier identification of need and through support provided, where possible, in mainstream settings. The department is currently testing a range of measures through the Change Programme. The department believes the Change Programme will make the biggest improvements to the quality of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, and the experience of getting them. These measures include multi-agency panels to improve the quality of decision making and parental confidence in the EHC needs assessment process, a single national EHC plan template and guidance, advisory tailored lists and measures to resolve disagreements more quickly through the use of strengthened mediation procedures.
Strengthening mediation is key part of the departments proposals. This is because where effective mediation takes place, disputes can be resolved earlier, without the need to appeal to the Tribunal. The department is working closely with the Council for disabled children to develop bespoke mediation guidance for families so that they understand the process, their rights and the benefits of mediation.
Recognising the importance of families receiving high-quality mediation, the department is working with the Civil Mediation Council and the College of Mediators to review and build on their existing professional standards for SEND mediators, first published in 2018, which apply to their joint register of accredited mediators. The department has engaged parents/carers, children and young people in the drafting and testing of the guidance and standards.
The department are also developing and testing a good practice delivery model for SEND mediation to help improve the quality and consistency of mediation provision, as well as gathering more data on the impact and outcomes of mediation.
All of these things taken together should help improve family confidence in the overall SEND system, as well as in the mediation process.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on accelerating the roll-out of mental health support teams in schools and colleges since publication of the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan.
Answered by David Johnston
Meeting children’s social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs is a crucial aspect of strong special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. This is why the SEND and alternative provision Improvement Plan works to facilitate a more joined-up response between the department and NHS England to support children with SEMH needs. Schools and colleges can play a vital role in promoting and supporting pupil and student mental health and wellbeing, both in providing early support and intervention and through liaison with specialist services as required.
Mental health support teams (MHSTs) have achieved their NHS Long Term Plan coverage ambition a year early and more teams are coming. As of March 2023, 3.4 million pupils and learners were covered by mental health support teams in schools and colleges in England, which equates to 35% of pupils and learners in England. The department estimates that 498 MHSTs will be up and running by April 2024, covering at least 44% of pupils and learners. The department further estimates there will be 600 teams covering at least 50% of all pupils across primary and secondary schools by 2025. New coverage data will be published in due course.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure all children and young people attending alternative provision settings are provided with access to high-quality physical education.
Answered by David Johnston
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on alternative provision settings to deliver physical education.
Answered by David Johnston
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of alternative provision settings have dedicated space for (a) indoor and (b) outdoor physical education.
Answered by David Johnston
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools the Building schools for the Future programme had planned to rebuild or refurbish; how many schools marked for rebuild or refurbishment were completed under the (a) Building Schools for the Future programme and (b) Priority School Building Programme; and how many schools that were not selected for either programme have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2023 to Question 198639 on Childcare, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there are an adequate number of (a) trained staff, (b) safe premises and (c) registered places to offer all eligible children access to 30 hours a week of free childcare for 38 weeks each year in Sheffield Hallam constituency.
Answered by David Johnston
Having enough staff in place to deliver high-quality education and care will be key to ensuring the successful delivery of our record expansion of early years entitlements. Driving up interest in early years careers and ensuring there are enough opportunities for career development is a priority for this government.
In the government’s Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, this Government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.
The department is developing a range of new workforce initiatives including the launch of a new national campaign, planned for the beginning of 2024, to boost interest in the sector and support the recruitment and retention of talented staff. To increase interest in early years, we are working to remove unnecessary barriers to entering the sector as well as considering how to make early years qualifications more accessible, coordinated and relevant.
Over the summer the department launched a competition for Early Years Skills Bootcamps with a pathway to an accelerated level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship, and we will consider degree apprenticeship routes so everyone from junior staff to senior leaders can easily move into or indeed enhance their career in the sector. We are also working across government to boost early years career awareness by collaborating with the Department for Work and Pensions and Careers & Enterprise Company to promote the importance and value of a career in early years.
Regarding safe premises, with a growing number of staff joining the sector, the safety of our youngest children remains as important as ever. All new and existing early years providers must keep children safe and promote their welfare. The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework sets the standards that all early years providers in England must meet to ensure that children are kept healthy and safe. More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1170108/EYFS_framework_from_September_2023.pdf.
Under these requirements, all owners and managers of childcare settings have a responsibility to ensure that their premises, including overall floor space and outdoor spaces, are fit for purpose and suitable for the age of children cared for and the activities provided on the premises. All providers must also comply with the requirements of health and safety legislation, including fire safety and hygiene requirements. At all times when children are present, at least one person who has a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises.
Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the Early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities should report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2.
The Department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours officials in her Department have spent working on the alignment of training standards between the offshore (a) oil and gas and (b) wind sectors in each year from 2018.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department does not collect data on officials’ detailed hourly activities. However, work on this topic is ongoing across government and industry.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education engages in ongoing reviews of apprenticeship standards, including Level 3 Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician which has a wind turbine specialism. The skills learnt in this apprenticeship are transferrable to other sectors including offshore oil and gas. These reviews are led by employers to ensure our apprenticeships are staying up to date with the latest developments in industry.
Industrial bodies such as the Oil and Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) are doing extensive work on policies including the all-energy qualification and skills passport. Industry-based training pathways are a crucial part of ensuring a continually robust offshore workforce. The department works with OPITO to collaborate on skills policy for England.
The Green Jobs Delivery Group is carrying out sectoral assessments through industry-expert task and finish groups to consider current and future demand for skills including for power generation, oil and gas, carbon capture, and hydrogen.
Please refer to the North Sea Transition Authority for further information on the work ongoing to ensure workers in offshore oil and gas have the skills they need for the green economy, including offshore wind.