Disability and Special Educational Needs

(asked on 22nd March 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help school children with SEND access (a) therapy, (b) physiotherapy and (c) other support during the school holidays.


Answered by
Claire Coutinho Portrait
Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
This question was answered on 5th April 2023

​​To ensure children and young people receive the support they need to thrive in education, the department is developing new national special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision standards covering early years, school, and post-16 provision. These will set out what support should be available and who is responsible for providing it, to give families confidence and clarity on how the needs of children and young people will be met.

​To improve access to speech and language therapy, the department is funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child pathfinders in partnership with NHS England. This will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and one of the local areas within each of our nine Regional Expert Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech language and communication needs in early years and primary schools.

​To support the supply of more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to the NHS, since September 2020 all eligible undergraduate and postgraduate degree students have been able to apply for a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year, with further financial support available for childcare, accommodation, and travel costs.

The department is also investing more than £200 million each year in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays.

Our HAF programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places for low-income families, providing vital holiday support for vulnerable children, including many with SEND or additional needs.

In summer 2022, the HAF programme reached over 685,000 children and young people across England.

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