The SEND / schools white paper has a focus on improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It highlights that, after they turn 16, young people with SEND are less likely to be in education, training or employment than their peers.
The proposals to address this set out in the white paper work alongside those already laid out in the post-16 education and skills white paper. Below, we explain what they are and what we think about them.
The publication of a white paper does not change existing SEND law. Your child’s legal rights to support remain in place.
What outcomes do the reforms aim to achieve?
The white paper’s broader proposals to provide an inclusive education, providing the right support when students need it, applies to all ages. Specialist further education (FE) colleges must deliver a stronger inclusive offer, alongside early years and school settings.
For young people, the proposals refer to:
Better transition planning from school to college into post-16 education and into adulthood.
Improving outcomes such as employment, training and apprenticeships and reducing NEET.
It notes that FE colleges may have different funding mechanisms, regulations and requirements, which may need a different approach.
What does Contact think?
The ambition to improve outcomes for young people with SEND to continue in education, training or towards employment is good.
But there is a lack of detail on how these improved outcomes might be achieved. We are concerned that the proposals are all framed for school settings. The proposals, including the plans for ISPs and EHC plans, need to work across all ages. There needs to be particular consideration of how the proposals will impact post-16 education, in particular:
How would Experts at Hand work in a specialist post-16 setting?
Will Specialist Provision Packages be age-appropriate for young people to enable goals around life skills, independence, further education and employability, not just school life?
Although EHC plans continue up to 25, they are for those with the most “complex” needs. This might limit the FE opportunities and funding available to a young person who no longer qualifies for an EHC plans under the reforms. It is positive that the reforms recognise the important role of specialist post-16 provision. But these reforms could lead to a gradual fade out of some specialist settings and courses if the funding isn’t there.
For all ages, the proposals include moving children onto the new SEND system at the point they transition from one phase of education to the next. This risks the support a student receives disappearing just at a point they might need it most. For post-16 education, support should bridge any transition to a new setting.
The proposal that local authorities provide a list of settings may bring particular challenges for post-16 students. Choices are already limited for this group. Placements may be further away from home, without the transport needed to get them there.
What is missing?
Transport is a huge concern for post-16 students, and something we have been campaigning on for some time. The challenge is simple: young people are expected to be in education or training until 18, but their rights to transport change at 16. If you cannot travel independently and cannot use public transport, how do you get to school or college?
How to respond to the consultation?
Many of the consultation questions will be relevant to post-16 education. Question 17 specifically refers to this age group:
Q17: How can we best support transition for young people with SEND, so that they are well supported into post-16 provision, including further education, higher education, training or employment?
SENDAP Reform, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT
The consultation closes on11:59pm on 18 May 2026.
The Genetic Alliance UK has launched a new campaign called “Future for Rare.” The campaign aims to bring together people affected by rare conditions, as well as carers, charities, healthcare groups, and experts, to share their views on the next UK Rare Diseases Framework.
The UK Rare Diseases Framework is the UK-wide policy that aims to improve the lives of people affected by rare conditions. It is due to be updated in 2027. The UK government has asked all four nations to come up with ideas for what will help shape future policy.
Contact welcomes the government’s renewed focus on early years as central to SEND reform and better outcomes for children and families. We are particularly encouraged by the emphasis on prevention, inclusion and stronger transitions, especially into reception. For families of younger children, the impact of these reforms could be felt for years to come.
Last month the government also announced over 200 new Best Start Family Hubs across England, offering free services like parenting advice, infant feeding support, and help for children with SEND to ease cost-of-living pressures. Backed by over £900 million, the government plans to expand to 1,000 hubs and 2,000 community locations by 2028. The programme brings multiple services together in one place, helping families save money and access support more easily, building on the legacy of Sure Start. These hubs form an important part of the government’s wider early years reforms.
What does the White Paper say about early years?
Key points in the White Paper about early years include:
A stronger focus on early years as the foundation for better outcomes
Greater emphasis on prevention, inclusion and smoother transitions into reception
The £200 million investment to fund SEND practitioners in Best Start Family Hubs, helping families access earlier, more joined-up support
Proposals for early years EHCPs to carry forward into the primary phase, providing greater continuity of support
The Government has also signalled a commitment to ensure children and young people who need specialist support receive it more promptly, supported by £1.8 billion in “Experts at Hand” funding. Families need support in place early for toddlers and pre-schoolers with additional needs.
Where we think more clarity is needed
Contact would welcome greater clarity on how workforce plans will deliver earlier support, so parents are not left waiting for assessments or forced to choose between care they are not confident in and giving up work.
While the proposed fast-track route for children under five with complex needs is a positive step, more detail is needed on how this will work in practice, including:
How eligibility for fast-track access to Specialist Support Packages will be determined
How this pathway will enable quicker access to higher levels of support, without unnecessary funding or process barriers
How decisions will be made jointly across health, education and local services.
There is also a clear focus on partnership working between early years settings and schools, alongside the introduction of minimum expectations around transitions. These should include parent voice, so that families of children with SEND—including those from under-represented communities—are actively involved in shaping how transition support works in practice.
The proposal to introduce digital Individual Support Plans in early years settings is also a helpful development, particularly if these are accessible to parents and bring together information from everyone supporting a child. However, more clarity is needed on how this will work in practice, given that most early years provision is delivered through private nurseries and childminders.
What families tell us
Families tell us that access to a suitable early years place remains a key concern and too many parents of children with additional needs struggle to find a nursery place or are offered reduced hours.
It will be important to understand how the reforms will improve sufficiency of places and ensure that children with SEND – whatever their learning difference or support they require- can access the right early education to help them thrive.
How to respond to the government’s consultation
The White Paper reforms offer real opportunities, but key details are still to be worked through. Contact encourages families of younger children to make their voices heard through the consultation and help shape how these changes are delivered.
SENDAP Reform, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT
The consultation closes on 11:59pm on18 May 2026.
We are working with our partners Hope for the Future to run a summer of events across Yorkshire for families from all backgrounds, including families with children with additional needs.
Join us for a Positive Imaginings Circus Show, an immersive, nature-based, family-friendly event designed to inspire curiosity, spark action, and imagine a brighter, fairer future for all.
Then come along to a Woodland Workshop, a free session providing children the chance to play in nature, and adults the chance to share your hopes for the future and learn new skills in engaging with politicians to advocate for change.
You can book a place now for 26 April and 25 & 26 May, and keep an eye on the page below for more dates in June and July!
The committee is feeding into the schools white paper consultation, in particular focusing on the importance of delivering health support.
Health support in schools can be anything from speech and language and occupational therapy to clinical support such as changing a tracheostomy or managing medication.
Anna Bird said:
“We hear from families every day struggling to get health support. Families having to wait until there is a crisis, waiting for a diagnosis, waiting until a child falls out of school until support is offered. The impact of that is children not being in school, not making friends and all the things we hope for, for our children. This is down to a lack of accountability for delivering health support.”
During the session, Anna was asked what good health support would look like. She emphasised the need for timely access to therapeutic support and an end to the current gatekeeping and waiting list management.
What does the white paper say about health?
Since its publication, Contact’s policy and helpline teams have been looking in detail at the schools white paper.
Key points include:
Experts at Hand will give schools better access to Speech and Language, Physio and Occupational therapists and Educational Psychologists.
Reforms will work ‘hand-in-hand’ with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, based on early intervention to stop needs escalating via integrated health, care, and family services.
Explicit pledge to protect and enhance EHCPs for children with the most complex needs. However, there’s no definition of complex needs.
Remember: The publication of a white paper does not change existing SEND law. Your child’s legal rights to support remain in place.
Experts at Hand
Experts at Hand will be banks of specialists that schools can call on when required. Specialists will include educational psychologists, speech and language and physiotherapists. The proposals say this resource will be ready by 2028.
While the commitment and level of funding is positive, we know the need in schools is high. There are current specialist workforce issues to overcome in a tight timeframe. In addition, Experts at Hand is a system level entitlement, not a legal right. It will be available to children getting Targeted Support Plus – the main way of meeting the needs of many children who currently qualify for an EHC plan. If parents are unhappy with the support, they must use the school complaints process.
Fast track pathway to specialised support for under-fives
The Department for Education (DfE) is working with the NHS to develop a fast-track pathway to specialist provision for under-fives.
This is welcome, especially for children who have continuing care needs. But there are children with cognitive, behavioural and medical complexities who struggle to get assessments and genetic testing at this stage. They could miss this pathway.
We would like to see the fast-track pathway for EHC plans regardless of a child’s age.
Areas of development (versus areas of need)
The white paper proposes updating the Code of Practice to change how children’s special educational needs (SEN) are assessed and recorded in schools and nurseries.
We welcome the suggestion that ADHD would move from a social, emotional and mental health need to a cognition and learning development area.
Parents of autistic children, however, may worry about how the new areas of development would work for their child. Autism is characterised by impaired social communication. Yet autistic children’s speech and language needs are likely to fall under the social and emotional development area under these proposed reforms.
Mental health
As part of the government’s Plan for Change to address attendance and behaviour, it has committed to rolling out mental health teams to schools from 2025-2030. The plan is for all pupils to have access to mental health support by 2029/30.
The white paper proposes that mental health needs will no longer be treated as an area of development category. This is a concern when evidence shows that the mental health needs of children are escalating.
In addition, we are disappointed that proposals do not address the mental health impact of large, busy, results-driven schools, which can lead to overwhelm in some children. During our focus group sessions, this has come out strongly as a suggestion for a low-cost change that could make schools more welcoming.
How to respond to the consultation
Our focus groups have now finished. We are very grateful to the parents who attended and gave such informed observations and insights. These will help shape our response.
Here we focus on two main policy areas: Independent Support Plans (ISPs) and education health and care (EHC) plans. Below you can read what the white paper says and what Contact thinks about the proposals.
Remember: The white paper recommendations on these two areas are just proposals at this stage. Your child’s legal rights to support remain in place.
There is an opportunity to shape them over the course of the consultation period. We have held a series of focus groups to gather parent views, which will inform our response to the consultation. We also continue conversations with the Department for Education (DfE) to feedback what we are hearing from parents as we go through this process.
Individual Support Plans
What does the white paper say?
The white paper proposes that schools, nurseries and colleges must produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for any child or young person with SEND. ISPs will replace the school-based support known as SEN support.
This will mean that every setting has to make a plan and share that plan with teachers. The White Paper makes clear that settings will have to involve parents in developing the plan. ISPs will be reviewed annually.
Legal duties
The proposals include a clear legal duty for settings to make a plan and record and monitor the support provided. This is a really positive step that strengthens legal protections for those children currently receiving SEN support.
But as far as we can tell, there is no proposed legal duty for settings to deliver the support. This means children moving from an EHC plan to an ISP could lose this right. We are concerned this leaves delivery open to discretion and subject to financial pressures.
We would like to see the government go a step further by making delivery of the plan a legal duty.
When things aren’t working
Under proposals, if the plan is not working to meet need or not being delivered, parents can go through the school’s complaints process and then an independent panel for redress.
At this stage it is not clear who will be on the Independent Panel. And it’s not clear what decisions they will be able to make.
How Contact will respond to the consultation on ISPs
We will be making the case:
That the delivery of ISPs should be a legal duty.
For clarity on the stages of appeal. Who will be on the Independent Panel and what decisions they will be able to make? It’s important to get this right to build trust in the system.
For the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to have a wider power to act if support is not being delivered as part of an ISP or EHC plan.
Education Health and Care plans
What does the white paper say?
The White Paper says Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs. Only those children who have Specialist Provision Packages (SSPs) will have EHC plans.
Eligibility
There is no definition of complex needs in the white paper. This means we don’t know which children and young people will be eligible for SSPs and EHC plans. This has understandably caused concern among parents.
The content and flexibility of the SSPs has not been well-defined in the proposed reforms. This could risk some children falling through gaps of support – especially if they need more than one type of support.
Health and social care
The white paper does not make it clear how SSPs will integrate health and social care. Responsibility and accountability for these elements is also unclear, risking a repeat of previous system failures unless these areas are addressed.
Assessments and reviews
It’s not clear whether families or schools will still be able to request an EHC needs assessment at any time. We are concerned that the proposed change from annual reviews to reviews only at key transition points will weaken oversight and responsiveness.
We think the proposals could be strengthened by adding a right to request emergency reviews whenever circumstances change.
Choosing a setting
The white paper says local authorities must provide a list of settings that can deliver the appropriate Specialist Provision Package when a family is choosing a school place for a child with an EHC plan.
Parents will retain the right to request an alternative setting. But local authorities can now turn this down based on cost. Under the proposals, the Tribunal will no longer have the power to name a school. It will only be able to request the local authority to reassess.
How Contact will respond to the consultation on EHC plans
We will be making the case that:
Specialist Provision Packages should be a guide. Support should be individually tailored to meet each child’s unique needs, as with current EHC plans.
EHC plans should be reviewed annually.
Families should keep the right to request an emergency review when needed.
Tribunal powers should remain the same, including the power to name a school.
How to respond to the consultation
Our focus groups have now finished. We are very grateful to the parents who attended and gave such informed observations and insights, which will help shape our response.
In the coming days and weeks we will cover the biggest proposed changes in detail and set out some questions and concerns we have about the proposals, how we intend to respond to the consultation and ways you can get involved in that response. The 12 week consultation process ends on Monday 18 May and there is now an opportunity to shape the proposals.
It’s important to remember that throughout this process existing SEND law remains the same. If you are told something different, this is incorrect.
What we welcome
A new duty on schools to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for every child with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
Schools, nurseries and colleges will have a new legal duty to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for any child with a special educational need.
This means:
Every child with SEND would have a digital plan of support, written by the school.
Parents should be involved in producing the ISP.
Each ISP must be reviewed annually.
Individual Support Plans would be produced for children getting school-based support in one of two levels – Targeted support and Targeted plus. These would replace the current SEN support.ISPs would also be produced for those who need Specialist Support alongside their Education, Health and Care Plan.
Targeted support provides structured support within mainstream settings, including small-group work or personalised materials. This is predominantly in the classroom but where appropriate in the school’s Inclusion Base.
Targeted plus provides better access to specialists like education psychologists and speech and language therapists through the government’s new Experts at Hand services. It may also include accessing Inclusion Bases within mainstream settings.
We welcome this because it should make support for children with special educational needs and disabilities clearer and more consistent at an earlier stage. However, we would like the government to go further in strengthening the duty to deliver what’s in the plan and for there to be a clear route for parents to challenge if that’s not happening.
Better access to specialists, training and transparency
The White paper sets out:
Each local area will have better access to specialists including speech and language, occupational and physiotherapists, under the government’s Experts at Hand service. Schools can then tap into those resources when needed.
A new national training programme for teachers to help build more inclusive culture and classrooms in mainstream schools.
More published information about SEND Tribunal outcomes, so families can see how local authorities are performing.
A realistic timeframe – we welcome the commitment to build capacity for inclusion in mainstream schools before legal changes are introduced.
A fast-track assessment process for under-5s with very complex needs.
We believe these steps could improve early support, as well as culture and accountability in schools.
Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs. Only those children who have the Specialist Provision Packages (SSPs) will be given EHCPs.
However, there is no definition of complex needs in the White Paper which means we don’t know which children and young people will be eligible for SSPs and EHCPs. There is a concern the threshold for getting an EHCP could become higher, and this has understandably caused concern among parents.
We are concerned the Specialist Provision Packages (SPPs) remove the individual and bespoke nature of the plans which is crucial to getting the right support for each child who have unique needs. There are also questions about who decides which “package” a child receives.
At the moment, it’s not clear:
Whether families will still be able to request an EHC assessment at any time.
Whether rights to annual reviews and appeals will stay the same.
Fewer appeal powers and weaker routes to challenge decisions
Parents may no longer be able to name a specific school.
Annual EHCP reviews could be replaced with less frequent reviews.
We are concerned this could make it harder for parents to challenge decisions and secure the right support.
Gaps in the White Paper
Mental health is not included as a focused area of development.
EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) is not mentioned.
School transport is not addressed.
Alternative provision arrangements are unclear.
The importance of social care and health on supporting disabled children in schools does not feature strongly enough.
How to respond
Our Focus Groups are being held this week and are already giving us brilliant insights, thank you to all taking part. Unfortunately they are full. However you can respond to the consultation individually.
One video looks at the transitional element of Universal Credit. The transitional element is paid to some people who were at risk of being worse off when moving onto Universal Credit from legacy benefits. However, it is a payment that reduces over time until it eventually drops to nil. This is a fact that some families are unaware of, and our video explains more.
Our other two new videos explore the carer element of Universal Credit. The carer element is an extra amount included in your Universal Credit if you are a carer. One video looks at who qualifies for the carer element. The other explains your rights to backdating of this payment if you have been missing out on it.
If you have any questions about the carer element or the transitional element of Universal Credit, you can get further advice from our free helpline.
Or you can browse our Universal Credit webpages, below.
Today on Radio 4’s SEND in the Spotlight, mum Becci Tobin, a Contact Changemaker, has spoken about the importance of the health part of her son Keir’s education health and care (EHC) plan, to ensure he can go to school safely and enjoy all the activities and opportunities there.
Keir has a rare, life limiting genetic condition. He is blind and has multiple seizures a day, as well as highly complex medical needs. His health care needs are fully met at school, and they provide a range of sensory activities. He enjoys hearing the sound of other pupils and staff. Despite Keir’s profound disabilities, the school recently took him to a farm where he enjoyed the animal sounds.
Health support in schools
Amanda Elliot, Health lead at Contact, said:
“Health support in schools is vitally important to ensure children with health conditions can safely enjoy, learn and take part in school like other children. There are great examples of schools delivering health support, but we also hear from parents who must battle to get that care for their child. We would have liked a greater focus on health in the schools white paper. It’s a key part of the puzzle to ensure all children feel welcome and safe at school.”
Debate over the schools white paper is focused largely on mainstream. But special schools need funding and resources too. Many do an incredible job. But a lot of staff are dealing with toileting or moving children, rather than giving them learning experiences.
Contact has called for:
Access to a wider range of health specialists – educational psychologists, occupational, speech and physiotherapists and specialists for children with visual and hearing impairments – in mainstream and special schools.
More school nurses in special and mainstream schools. We’d like to see community nurses in special schools who can train and directly oversee and support staff to carry out healthcare and medical procedures (under formal delegation).
Extended powers for the SEND tribunal to be able to force health to act over provision. At present they can only recommend health provision.
Specialist health provision for children without EHC plans who have SEN or School based support including ready access to speech and occupational and physiotherapists.
Our analysis of health in the schools white paper – what it includes
Health is mentioned just 145 times in the SEND consultation document – including footnotes and references.
Explicit pledge to protect and enhance EHC plans for children with the most complex needs. Crucially document offers no definition of complexity
Reforms will work ‘hand-in-hand’ with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan -based on early intervention to stop needs escalating
Health professionals will provide ‘wrap around support’ via integrated health, care, and family services, to identify and address children’s needs earlier as soon as they emerge.
Children with the most (undefined) complex needs will be able to continue to attend special schools but there will be new expectations and pressures on those schools and staff to share expertise with mainstream schools.
We will be doing a full analysis of different sections of the Schools White Paper very soon.
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) is delivering a series of online events in March 2026 in relation to the SEND Reform Government Consultation. Two of the sessions are for parent carers, with others reserved for professionals working in different settings.
In Wales, if your child has an Individual Development Plan (IDP), the local authority names the school it thinks is most appropriate.
Parents whose child is leaving primary school will have completed their preferences for secondary school last October.
Today, 2 March 2026, is secondary school National Offer Day when parents receive a single offer of a school place for their child for September.
What happens on National Offer Day?
The schools you listed in your application will have each decided whether they can offer your child a place.
The local authority will have considered these offers against your preferences, along with everyone else’s.
And on National Offer Day, you’ll get a single offer of a school.
Your offer will be the highest preference school on your list that can give your child a place. If none of your preferences can offer your child a place – because too many other children are higher up on the oversubscription criteria – you’ll be offered another school.
This is likely to be the nearest school with places still available. Usually there will be a form to complete with a deadline to confirm that you accept the school offered.
What if I’m not happy with the school offered?
If you are not happy with the school you have been offered, don’t panic. There are a number of things you can do:
Appeal for a school place if you applied and did not get an offer of a place for your child.
Keep your child on the waiting list for any schools you originally applied for. Sometimes there is quite a bit of movement before September.
Consider other options – you could apply for schools not on your original list.
We advise that you accept the school place offered if you can, even if was not your first child and you are not happy with the offer. This will ensure that your child at least has a guaranteed school place if your appeal or waiting list options fail.
Parent carers in Wales can find more information about admissions and appeals on the Welsh government website.
Contact welcomes the government’s £4 billion investment over three years to make mainstream schools more inclusive and reduce the adversarial battles families face.
Anna Bird, CEO of Contact and Chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, said:
“The government’s promise to tackle the SEND crisis so that every disabled child can achieve and thrive is a vision we share.
“We strongly welcome investment in better training of teachers, readily-available specialist support and more accessible buildings in mainstream schools where SEND pupils can be mates they grow up with. These changes could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
“We are concerned though that the government has failed to answer parents’ questions about whether legal changes will reduce existing rights. Families are worried these might make it even harder to hold the system to account when things go wrong or secure an education, health and care (EHC) plan or a special school place if their child needs one.
“We will look at the details of the white paper and work with families, ministers and MPs to ensure changes to the law work for every child with additional needs.”
Inclusive Mainstream Fund
The proposed £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund could significantly improve school-based support (currently known as SEN Support), reducing the need for families to pursue lengthy EHC plan processes simply to secure appropriate help.
Investment in early identification, tailored interventions and adaptive teaching is essential. Supporting staff to recognise and respond to common special educational needs is a positive step.
However, strengthened SEN Support must not become a substitute for specialist provision where it is required. EHC plans remain a vital legal safeguard and must be protected.
It is currently unclear whether the fund will be ringfenced. We would support ringfencing to ensure funding is used specifically to improve SEND provision. We would also welcome clear national oversight potentially through an accountability mechanism similar to Ofsted — to ensure transparency and impact.
Experts at Hand (£1.8bn)
We applaud the proposed ‘Experts at Hand’ service. This will create a local bank of SEND professionals including occupational therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers. Access to specialist expertise without requiring an EHCP could reduce delays and unmet need.
However, this proposal will only succeed if there is a credible plan to address workforce shortages. There are currently significant gaps in the availability of occupational therapists, educational psychologists and speech and language therapists. Without a parallel workforce expansion strategy, delivery risks falling short of ambition.
We support the new requirement for all teachers to be trained to support children with SEND. And we welcome the £200 million already announced for teacher training.
The proposal to use special and alternative provision schools to provide outreach and short-term placements recognises their expertise. However, this must not overstretch specialist settings or compromise the support available to children already placed there.
The role of specialist provision
We agree that children should not have to travel long distances to access suitable support. Greater quality local provision is welcome.
However, locality can never take precedence over a setting’s ability to meet a child’s full range of needs. Some children will always require specialist provision, and there must remain a clear, protected place for specialist settings within the system.
Supporting families to navigate the system
We hope the government will build on investment in Best Start Family Hubs to strengthen SEND outreach and provide practical support to families navigating the system, particularly at key transition points.
What happens next?
We will be closely examining the Schools White Paper when it’s published later today to ensure:
It does not become harder to secure an EHC plan.
Specialist provision remains available where needed.
Families can still hold local authorities to account.
We’ll continue working with families, policymakers, Ministers and MPs to ensure reforms genuinely reduce conflict and improve outcomes. We will also keep families updated as more information becomes available.
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that national standards and price bands will be introduced for independent special schools as part of government SEND reforms in England.
The government says it will set clear national price limits and tougher standards to help make sure specialist placements help children make progress – instead of higher bills for councils.
The government hopes this will stop the postcode lottery where the support families get depends on where they live, and make sure children everywhere can access high-quality SEND support.
In response to the announcement Contact’s Imogen Steele said:
“We welcome the government’s commitment to making sure that profits are not put before children’s education. However, it is important to recognise that independent special schools currently fill critical gaps where local provision does not exist. Special schools remain essential for children who require complex education and health support, and any policy must ensure children’s needs remain the primary focus.
“At this stage, several aspects of the announcement are unclear: whether it distinguishes between independent day and residential special schools; whether the proposed fee bands apply only to education, or education and health needs together. We strongly believe that decisions should be based on individual needs. While fee bands may offer transparency, caution is needed to avoid inadvertently limiting access to the specialist support that children genuinely require to keep them safe and help them learn.”
What are independent special schools?
There are two types of independent special school:
Section 41 schools are approved by the Secretary of State and must meet specific SEND‑related legal duties. They must properly consider placement requests from families with an EHCP (Education, Health, and Care Plan).
Non‑Section 41 independent special schools did not previously have the same statutory SEND duties. However, the government is introducing national price bands and statutory SEND standards for all independent special schools, meaning non‑Section 41 schools will now be checked and regulated more like Section 41 schools.
We are still waiting to hear the detail about the government’s long-awaited proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England.
Recent media coverage has highlighted the strength of concern about SEND reforms. Today the Guardian reported that members of the Disabled Children’s Partnership including Contact, have urged the government to ensure reforms must not weaken children’s legal rights or reduce access to support.
What is a White Paper, does it mean the law has changed?
A White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for future legislation or law. Changes to the SEND system will be part of a wider Schools White Paper.
Here are the stages of a White Paper:
When the Schools White paper is published there will be a 12-week consultation. This is an opportunity for parents and interested groups to respond to the proposals and have their say. Changes can be made to the white paper before it’s formally presented to parliament.
A Bill will go through Parliament, followed by a period of implementation and transition.
If there are to be changes to legislation this needs to be included in the King’s Speech. This year’s King’s Speech is in May.
The Bill then has to go through both the Commons (where MPs review and debate the Bill) and the House of Lords (where Lords review and debate the Bill). During this time further amendments can be made.
The whole process can take several years and during that time the existing law and existing rights do not change.
How has Contact been involved in shaping the White Paper?
We are clear: reform must strengthen support and safeguard children’s existing rights. We’d like to see a legal guarantee of support for every child with SEND. Today the Guardian newspaper has published Disabled Children’s Partnership’s red lines, which call on the government to ensure any reform of the system does not:
strip away legally enforceable plans for children who need them
force children out of stable placements or disrupt essential support
narrow the definition of special educational needs to restrict eligibility
abolish the SEND Tribunal, a vital safeguard for families
cut off support at 18 for young people who need longer to transition into adulthood
Legislation known as Awaab’s Law came in to effect at the end of last year to ensure people who rent their home live in safe healthy housing.
The new law is named after toddler Awaab Ishak who died from mold exposure in his home. It only applies to the social rented sector such as council housing or homes rented from housing associations.
What does Awaab’s law mean for social housing tenants?
The key change for tenants is that landlords now have to follow strict timeframes for responding when a tenant reports an issue.
Emergency hazards (e.g. dangerous electrical faults, damaged external doors or windows and major leaks) must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours.
Significant damp and mould hazards must be investigated within 10 working days. They must be made safe within a further 5 working days.
If social landlords can’t meet those deadlines, they will be obliged to offer alternative accommodation. And if they fail, tenants can take legal action against for breach of contract. They can also make a claim via a complaints procedure.
Find out more about the new law and your rights as a tenant
This information has been translated into a number of languages and includes a short video that explains Awaab’s Law.
Over the last couple of days, there have been news reports about parents of disabled children ‘getting paid’ to transport their children to school in England.
Contact is concerned that this completely misrepresents the situation and risks fuelling resentment.
One newspaper report suggested parents were getting a Personal Travel Budget, but were walking or cycling their child to school. We have never heard of this.
Parents driving considerable distances
Instead, what we hear day in and day out, is that many parents are driving considerable distances to transport their child to school because there is not a suitable school locally.
They are reimbursed for the cost of petrol, but not for the wear and tear on their car and not for the hours each week they spend transporting their child. Many have to give up work. Far from ‘being paid’, families are absorbing the cost of a system that does not meet their child’s needs.
Anna Bird added:
“Many children have care needs through the night and cannot be safely transported to school on public transport. Families with disabled children would love nothing more than to wave their child off for the school day, to catch the bus or walk with friends, but this is not their reality.”
The government has announced a £50 million cash injection for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) in England this financial year. They say it could support 5,000 more children and adults with disabilities who need home adaptations. An adaptation is a change made to your home to make it more accessible and safer for a disabled child or adult. The money will be paid to local authorities in February boosting this year’s allocation of money to the DFG pot.
Contact regularly hears from families who need adaptations to make caring for their disabled child at home easier. Whether that’s building an accessible bathroom or creating a quiet space, or installing ceiling track hoists.
Unsuitable accommodation
Una Summerson, Head of Campaigns at Contact, said: “We welcome this additional money for Disabled Facilities Grants. Many families with disabled children live in unsuitable accommodation and need housing adaptations. This makes caring much harder and sometimes dangerous. There are often long waits to get assessed for a Disabled Facilities Grant. While the average DFG is £10,000, some projects cost more. We’ve heard from families asked to pay towards the adaptations while others need to negotiate that the council and housing association split the cost.
“The extra money announced at the weekend will go some way to help families who need adaptations to to enable them to care for their disabled child more easily and safely. We would also like to see an increase in the upper limit of the DFG to reflect higher building costs and local authorities should promote the grants more widely. In addition, it’s important to address the shortage of Occupational Therapists who are needed to carry out the assessments.”
More than a quarter (27%) of all families are not aware of the Disabled Facilities Grant, available from the council to help pay for building works, ramps, hoists.
Only 12% have applied for a Disabled Facilities Grant. Of the families who did apply, 43% found the process poor or very poor. Over half (57%) said the grant did not cover the full cost of the adaptations needed.
The average shortfall was £7,391. To find that money, a third (35%) had to borrow or take a loan. 30% used their savings, but more than a quarter (26%) had to do without or scale down the adaptations they really needed.
The review is expected to take three to six months and inform implementation of the new NHS Long Term Plan. Separate chapters for children and adults will look at:
Similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD and autism regarding prevalence, drivers, early intervention, and treatment.
Co-occurrence of these conditions.
Inequalities in prevalence, access, and experience.
Challenges facing clinical services.
Extent to which diagnosis, ‘medicalisation’ and treatment improve outcomes.
Differences between the levels of need and disorder for mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism.
Role of medicalisation of mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism, including the associated risks and benefits.
Effectiveness of short versus long-term interventions to support recovery and/or improve quality of life.
Contact is concerned this it is happening at a time when there is a growing narrative that children who are neurodivergent or have mental health conditions, are being ‘overdiagnosed’. Contact is urging the government to use the review to build trust with families, not undermine it.
Very real needs
Contact CEO Anna Bird said:
“The independent review must not be used to cast doubt on the very real needs of children with ADHD and autism. Rising demand is not a sign of ‘over‑diagnosis’; it is a sign that we have got better at recognising the signs, which is something to be celebrated. It’s also an indication that many children have gone without support for too long.
“Every child has the right to be seen, heard, and supported. We urge decision‑makers to use this review to build trust with families, not undermine it, and to ensure that children get timely assessments and the help they need to thrive.”
ADHD taskforce review
Professor Peter Fonagy will chair the review team, co-led by Professor Gillian Baird and Professor Sir Simon Wessely. It will draw on the recent independent ADHD taskforce review which found unsupported ADHD costs economy around £17 billion a year because people with ADHD are at higher risk of unemployment, family breakdown, and mental health problems.
Contact’s UK-wide helpline will close at 2pm on Xmas Eve Wednesday 24 December and will re-open at 9.30am on Friday 2 January 2026.
If you need to speak to someone when our helpline is closed, the following national support organisations may be helpful:
Samaritans Freephone: 116 123 open 24 hours every day throughout the festive period
CALM Freephone: 0800 585858, open 5pm till midnight throughout the festive period
SHOUT Text: 85258, open 24 hours a day, confidential text support service.
If you ask a query during this period, we’ll respond as soon as we can after our office reopens on 2 January 2025. Whilst the helpline is closed, you can find lots of advice and support on our website. You can use Charlie the Chatbot, who lives on the bottom right-hand side of our website, to guide you through our information and advice quickly and easily, whenever you need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our Live Chat option on our website is not available from 2pm on 24 December to 4 January 2026 inclusive.
For families in Scotland
Contact’s Scotland enquiry service is closed from Thursday 18 December and reopen on Monday 5 January at 9.30am. While our service is closed the following organisations may be useful to you:
Scotland’s Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline 0800 027 1234
More information including tips on looking after yourself this winter is available from Parent Club.
For families in Northern Ireland
Contact’s NI office will be closed for the winter holidays from Thursday 18 December and reopen on Monday 5 January at 9.30am.
Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000 is available 24/7, 365 days a year, including Christmas Day.
For families in Wales
Our Wales office will be closed from Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January.
You can get in touch with Family Lives on 0808 800 2222 (Closed Christmas & Boxing Day, New Years Day) or visit their website.
Fareshare Cymru has a community food provisions map which helps you explore a wide range of alternative food provision across Wales. From community pantries and luncheon clubs to growing projects and food-sharing schemes, this tool makes it easy to find what’s happening near you.
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