Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms are in place to encourage effective cross-department working to help ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive the relevant support for their needs.

Working across government to ensure the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are met, is a priority for this department.

In July 2021 the government published the National Disability Strategy, setting out our vision to improve the everyday lives of disabled people. We gave a range of commitments over supporting children and young people with disabilities in their education and preparation for adulthood.

One of the most frequently occurring types of SEN recognised in children and young people is autism. We are working closely with partners across government to improve support for autistic people of all ages.

In July 2021, we published jointly with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) the new ‘Autism Strategy’, which extended to children and young people for the first time, with funding in its first year of £74 million. In it, we set out how we will continue our programme of developing training and resources for education staff. We also committed to working in collaboration across government, with autistic people and their families, the NHS, local government, and the voluntary sector, to implement the strategy, and we are continuing to do so.

Focusing on the health and care needs of children and young people with SEND, the department contributes to the cross-system, cross-government building the right support delivery board which is responsible for driving further progress in reducing the number of autistic children, young people, and adults, with a learning disability in mental health inpatient settings. We are a key partner in the children and young people’s workstream, which is one of the board’s core priorities.

Working closely with DHSC, the department has lent its support to the Down’s Syndrome Bill, currently moving through parliament, and proposed by my right hon. Friend for North Somerset, which seeks to improve services and life outcomes for people with down’s syndrome. The bill would place a new duty on my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to issue guidance in England to certain health, social care, housing and education authorities on meeting the specific needs of people with down‘s syndrome.