Special Educational Needs

(asked on 19th July 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to respond to the findings published in June in <i>Reporting on the HCP process: Bren Prendergast's parent participatory research,</i> in particular in relation to the rights of children and young people with disabilities and their parents and carers.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Nash
This question was answered on 28th July 2016

We are monitoring Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans in a number of ways and have put in place a range of measures to help drive up their quality. In producing EHC plans, local authorities must take account of the views, wishes and feelings of children, young people and parents and engage them fully throughout the process.

We annually survey local authorities to identify, for example, the number of EHC plans in place, how many have been completed within the statutory deadline, and how many statements of Special Educational Needs have been reviewed and replaced by an EHCP. The data is attached and available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2016

Our team of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) advisers regularly visit local authorities to assess how well they are implementing the SEND reforms, and to offer support and challenge. In early 2016, we provided free training for all local authorities, which parents also attended, on producing quality EHC plans. Between July and October this year, we will conduct a large-scale national survey to assess the experiences that young people with SEND, and parents, have of EHC plans.

Departmental officials regularly meet groups of parents, and young people, to discuss a range of things in relation to SEND, including EHCPs. Bren Prendergast’s report provides helpful additional information.

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