Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the skills mix required to supply the Experts at Hand offer.

The department has applied a set of principles when determining which workforce roles are eligible for funding through the Experts at Hand grant, aligning with our reform ambitions and supporting greater inclusion in mainstream settings. These include evidence of a workforce shortage, current utilisation within the statutory system, and the extent to which expertise can address unmet needs in mainstream provision.

Based on these principles, the model brings together key health and specialist education practitioners, including speech and language therapists and support workers or assistants; occupational therapists and support workers or assistants; educational psychologists and trainees; and specialist teachers, both local authority-based and those working in specialist or alternative provision settings.

This multidisciplinary approach reflects the range of needs presented by children and young people, particularly in areas such as communication, sensory processing, and learning.

By building on existing evidence and delivery experience, this model is designed to provide timely, specialist advice while making best use of available workforce capacity. The department will continue to keep this approach under review to ensure it remains responsive to demand and supports greater inclusion in mainstream settings.