Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a statutory review process will be available for parents with SEND children who disagree with changes to their children's support plans under the proposed reforms.

An Individual Support Plan (ISP) will be produced for any child or young person who is receiving targeted, targeted plus or specialist support in a setting, including those with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). The special educational needs and disabilities Tribunal remains an important legal backstop for the most important EHCP decisions. Under our proposed reforms, families will be able to appeal the most important decisions around needs assessment, eligibility for a specialist provision package, the type of package, the placement, the outcome of an EHCP review, and a decision to cease the EHCP.

ISPs will be developed by settings together with parents and young people, giving children and young people a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive so that support is joined‑up, timely and centred on what will help them to thrive. Under our proposals, if there are concerns about provision, parents and young people would be able to raise these directly with the setting, including through the improved schools complaints process where necessary. We will seek to strengthen the school complaints system with the inclusion of an appropriate, independent SEND specialist (for example a special educational needs coordinator, multi-academy inclusion director, senior school manager) on a panel, if the complaint cannot be resolved by the school’s senior management team or head teacher.

The government consultation 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation and continuing to engage widely on our proposals.