Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND provision in Cornwall; and what steps she plans to take to with Cornwall Council to help improve the (a) funding and (b) delivery of SEND services.

The department has been working with the local area partnership since the Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inspection in February 2023. The inspection concluded that the local area partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

The department holds regular, formal monthly monitoring meetings, in partnership with NHS England, that are focussed on the impact of actions taken to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families. The department has put in place a SEND advisor and funded the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence (RISE) consortium to support improvement.

Cornwall is part of the Developing Better Value in SEND (DBV in SEND) programme, which supports local authorities and their local area partners to improve the delivery of SEND services for children and young people whilst working towards financial sustainability.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will continue with its work with the local area to ensure that they deliver further improvements in services.