Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure whistleblowers, families, and other stakeholders are able to submit evidence in relation to SEND practices.

In our recent ‘SEND Reform: Putting children and young people first’ consultation, we set out proposals to strengthen accountability and improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on tribunal judgments, and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority. We are carefully considering feedback from the consultation and will be responding in due course.

All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. We will update the framework to align to the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.

The department also publishes annual data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for families.

In terms of maintaining records, keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something we expect of all local authorities.

Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their child’s EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.