Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support low-income families to apply for education, health and care plans.

For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. We know that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision, regardless of socio-economic background, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Where families experience challenges with the EHC plan process and the wider SEND system, the department signposts available support from the family’s local Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS). This is independent of the local authority and can provide impartial advice about the law on SEND, local SEND arrangements and support for children’s needs. The service can also help parents prepare for meetings with schools and colleges, local authorities, the Tribunal or other agencies.

In addition, the department also signposts families to Contact, a national charity for families with disabled children, which provides information, advice and support, and brings families together to support each other.

The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider next steps.