Special Educational Needs

(asked on 29th January 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted and CQC report entitled Evaluation of local areas' readinness for the implementation of the disability and SEN reforms, published on 17 December 2014, page 6, whether she plans to introduce accountability measures to monitor the impact of the SEND reforms.


Answered by
Edward Timpson Portrait
Edward Timpson
This question was answered on 4th February 2015

The special educational needs (SEN) and disability code of practice sets out that local governance arrangements must be in place to ensure clear accountability for commissioning services for children and young people with SEN and disabilities from birth to the age of 25. There must be clear decision-making structures in place and partners must also be clear about who is responsible for delivering what, who the decision-makers are in education, health and social care, and how partners will hold each other to account in the event of a disagreement.

Ofsted and CQC will provide the independent assessment of local area delivery of SEND services. This will support local accountability as well as supporting local areas to improve the quality of their delivery and service. Where necessary, it will provide evidence for an area to receive appropriate external support.

Department for Education officials are working closely with officals from the Department of Health and their Ministers to ensure any accountability measures reflect the importance of partnership working across education health and social care.

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