It’s just 2 months to go until the government must respond to recommendations to improve outdated social care law for disabled children.
Families caring for disabled children are routinely left without essential support in the home, short breaks and direct payments. Instead, they are pushed into crisis and subjected to unnecessary and unwarranted safeguarding investigations.
Huge thanks to the 650 of you who have already taken action.
Why act now?
This is a rare opportunity to make meaningful change in a decades-long overlooked area. We need MPs to support the Law Commission proposals to create a fairer, more modern and workable social care system of support for disabled children.
Una Summerson, Contact’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, said: “We hear daily from families with disabled children failed by the current social care system.
“However, there is little awareness amongst MPs and policy makers about the importance of good social care support. We now have two months to create greater understanding of the importance of social care support.
“Without law change, disabled children will continue to face a postcode lottery of support. This leads to more pressure on schools and teachers who are left to pick up the pieces when a child and family aren’t supported outside the classroom. It also creates more pressure on the NHS as physical and mental health conditions worsen without support and respite and more pressure on the benefits system as families without adequate support struggle to maintain work and caring responsibilities.”
Take action
Write to your MP today to improve disabled children’s social care law and create a better system of support.
If you would be willing to share your story in the media, get in touch [email protected] or telephone 07599 930 090.
Inclusion bases are part of the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms. The government is introducing them while it reviews feedback to its consultation on other proposed legal changes. The government wants every secondary school to have an inclusion base by 2030.
Families who contact our helpline tell us that experiences of inclusion bases vary widely. Some children thrive with the extra support, while others feel separated from their peers or insufficiently supported and need a special school.
The government has said it will publish parent‑friendly factsheets soon. We will share these as soon as they are available.
What are inclusion bases?
“Inclusion base” is a broad term covering different types of support spaces in mainstream schools. These include what many families already know as resource bases, specialist units or SEND hubs.
Bases are usually located away from the main classroom. They offer quieter or sensory‑friendly spaces, small‑group teaching, specialist support, and help with regulation, communication or confidence. The aim is to help children stay included in mainstream education while getting the support they need.
What the guidance says
There are two types of inclusion bases.
Support bases (school‑funded) are mainly for children who do not have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, but need more help than the classroom can provide. Under the SEND reforms, this sits within the Targeted Plus level of support.
Support bases should help children spend more time in mainstream lessons, be part of the whole school, be led by specialist teachers, and never be used as disciplinary spaces. They can range from small hubs to separate classroom‑style spaces.
Specialist bases (local authority‑funded) are for children who need more specialist teaching and support, usually those with an EHC plan.
Local authorities must:
Identify the group of children the base will support (for example autism, social, emotional mental health needs, or speech and language needs).
Commission any therapeutic input.
Involve families, schools, health and social care in designing and reviewing the base.
Academies that want to open a specialist base must involve the Secretary of State for Education. For less common needs such as physical disabilities or hearing impairment, commissioning may need to happen across a wider region.
The guidance also notes that some children without an EHC plan may be able to access specialist bases in certain circumstances.
A “spectrum of support”
The guidance says inclusion bases should support children who are mostly in mainstream but need occasional help, alongside children who need to spend more time in the base.
Schools must identify the main group of children the base is designed for. For example, children with speech and language needs, sensory needs, or social and emotional needs.
Concerns families have raised
Parents tell us that inclusion bases can work well when they are properly funded, well-staffed, clearly designed around a specific group of children, and genuinely focused on inclusion.
But families also raise concerns. Based on what we hear, and what the guidance says, we are watching for:
Children who do not fit the chosen “cohort”. It is unclear how schools will support children whose needs fall outside the base’s focus
Funding and accountability. Without clear rules, there is a risk bases will not have the staffing or resources they need.
How different types of bases work together. The guidance does not fully explain whether schools can run both support bases and specialist bases, or how or if they should be combined.
Variability between schools. Because the guidance is non‑statutory, provision may look very different from one school to another.
Contact continues to call on the government to make sure inclusion bases are properly funded, staffed and designed with families, so they promote genuine inclusion rather than segregation.
The Department for Education (DfE) is now reviewing the responses submitted to the consultation before publishing its formal response later this year.
The response will set out the feedback received and which proposals the government intends to change, take forward or develop further. Further policy development and engagement will continue over this period.
It follows feedback from families, charities and campaign groups that it was missing from the government’s Schools White Paper, despite it being a lifeline for many children and young people with special educational needs.
There are 16,000 children and young people with an EOTAS package. Over a third have a mental health condition and over a third are autistic. Children who cannot be educated in a school setting are often experiencing burnout and trauma.
We are concerned that the current proposals risk reducing legal rights to an EOTAS package. We are keen that families whose children have EOTAS to share their views.
Only way he can learn
One parent explained why EOTAS is so vital for her son: “Our son is a bright and wonderful boy that cannot attend school. We have tried every option for him and now the only way he can learn is at home, with an EOTAS package. He was initially home educated until we tried school aged 6. This was very distressing for him and triggered obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and extreme anxiety. We returned to home education, and he was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. He was seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) aged 10. CAMHS supported us to get him a very specialist setting aged 11. The battle to get the placement with the local authority, broke us as parents, but we knew it was his only chance of a school education. Sadly, after two years his mental health rapidly declined. He was so severely unwell it became clear he could no longer attend any school. It took me over 6 months to produce the evidence he needed for a bespoke EOTAS package for his GCSE years. From September he will have 15 hours of online tutoring, and 4 hours of mentoring. EOTAS is the only way our son can have the safety of home, whilst receiving the education he needs to have a chance at a future.”
Local authority remains legally responsible
EOTAS is a formal special education package provided under an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The local authority remains legally responsible for maintaining this package. Under this arrangement, the child or young person is not on roll at a school or post-16 institution. Instead, they receive their education and special educational provision either at home or, in some cases, within an external setting that is not registered as an educational setting.
Many of you will have seen the deeply troubling allegations reported by ITV News last week. A whistleblower described practices within a local authority that allegedly delayed or obstructed children and young people with SEND from accessing the support they need.
These allegations must be fully and independently investigated. They echo concerns that families share with us every day on our helpline and in our community services about lengthy delays, inconsistent decision-making and continuous battles to secure the support their children are legally entitled to.
Local authorities must ensure their decision-making is transparent, lawful and centred on the needs and rights of children and young people. These allegations also reinforce why the planned SEND reforms will only work if they strengthen and not weaken support, accountability and families confidence in the system. Families deserve a system they can trust – one that works with them, not against them.
If you need advice about routes to challenge local authority decisions, including complaints and lodging appeals to the SEND Tribunal, please call our helpline on 0808 808 3555.
When your child is in hospital, life can feel overwhelming and stressful. There are appointments to keep track of, unfamiliar medical language to understand and important decisions to make – all while trying to be there for your child. That’s why Contact’s By Your Sideteam is there. Our parent carer advisors offer a friendly face, practical advice and emotional support, helping parents with children in hospital find the support and answers they need at one of the most stressful times of their lives.
This year, we’re celebrating an important milestone – 10 years of support from legal firm Bolt Burdon Kemp (BBK). Their decade long partnership has helped make By Your Side a trusted source of support for families at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital in London.
Support when – and where – it matters most
Having By Your Side advisers based in hospital means families can access free information and support when they need it, without having to book an appointment. Whether parents have questions about benefits, education, emotional wellbeing or simply need someone to listen, Contact’s By Your Side team are there to help them navigate the challenges of caring for a disabled or seriously ill child.
Ruth Stone from our London team of By Your Side advisers said:
“When a child is in hospital, parents can often feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn. Thanks to BBK’s incredible support over the past 10 years, our By Your Side team has been there to offer practical guidance, reassurance and a listening ear when families need it most. For families, that can be life-changing. Having someone who understands what they’re going through, can explain their options and point them towards the right support helps parents feel more informed, more confident and less alone. It has helped us build a service that families can truly rely on.”
Over the last decade, BBK’s support has helped Contact:
Maintain a regular face-to-face presence at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Support hundreds of parent carers when they are with their child in hospital.
Build trusted relationships with families and hospital teams.
Provide consistent, high-quality support year after year.
More than a funding partner
BBK’s support has always been about more than funding.
Over the years, they have fundraised for Contact by taking on the London Marathon, shared their expertise through webinars, podcasts and blogs for parent carers, provided meeting and training spaces, and helped raise awareness of the challenges families face. This year, Maya Englesberg from BBK continued that tradition by running the London Marathon for Contact.
Caroline Klage, brain injury lawyer at legal firm BBK and parent carer, says:
“We’re incredibly proud to have supported Contact’s By Your Side service for the past decade. Seeing the difference it makes for families facing some of the toughest moments of their lives has made this partnership so meaningful for everyone at BBK. We believe long-term partnerships create lasting change, and we’re delighted to continue supporting Contact so that even more parent carers can access the information and support they need. We look forward to continuing to work together to help even more parent carers in the years ahead.”
Thank you BBK!
Thank you to everyone at BBK for standing by Contact and, most importantly, standing by the families who have benefited from By Your Side over the last 10 years.
Here’s to the next decade of making a difference together.
At a Westminster Hall debate on 4 June, MPs highlighted growing concerns about home-to-school transport for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as the challenges facing families in rural areas.
Contact’s evidence highlighted in Parliament
In his opening remarks, Tom Gordon MP referenced evidence submitted by Contact to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), saying:
“The charity Contact put it clearly in evidence to PAC (Public Affairs Committee): the policy is simply not working post 16. The change in entitlement can feel like a cliff edge. For families who have spent years building routines and supporting a young person with complex needs, that cliff edge can be devastating for the young person and for every member of their family around them.”
Transport barriers limit access to education
During the debate MPs shared examples of young people with SEND struggling to get to college because suitable transport was unavailable. MPs described the impact on families who are often forced to face difficult choices about employment, finances and their child’s education.
Concerns were raised about inconsistent local authority policies, lengthy appeal processes and personal transport budgets fail to reflect the true cost of travel. One MP referred to a local transport policy that made it “all but impossible” for SEND students to secure the transport support they need. There was broad agreement across the debate that transport is often the deciding factor in whether a young person with SEND can attend college, take up training opportunities and develop greater independence.
Additional challenges for rural families
MPs also highlighted the particular challenges families in rural areas face, where children and young people often have to travel long distances to reach a suitable school or college. Concerns were raised about the current transport eligibility rules based on attendance at the “nearest suitable” setting. MPs argued that this can leave families struggling when local provision cannot meet a child’s needs or when the nearest placement is many miles away from home.
Calls to review post 16 transport
MPs called on the Government to review post-16 transport arrangements and funding, and to strengthen national guidance for local authorities to ensure that young people with SEND can access education and training opportunities more consistently.
Thanks to funding from the Motability Foundation, Contact is campaigning to improve transport to school or college. Read more about our school transport campaign.
Contact’s head of campaigns, Una Summerson, was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live last week about new figures that show a sharp rise in school suspensions linked to racist, homophobic and disablist abuse.
Education specialists say the increase reflects wider pressures facing children and schools, including reduced anti-bullying support, the impact of social media, and rising tensions in society.
It is essential schools proactively challenge bullying
In her interview on the radio programme Una said:
“Our helpline hears first-hand from parents whose children are being bullied and the distress this causes. It can have a long-term impact on their child and the whole family, if for example a child can no longer go to school and has to be home educated or parents have to find another school.
“Sadly, some disabled children don’t feel safe or secure at school because they are being bullied. It’s really important that schools deal with all forms of bullying more effectively. Difference should never be a reason to be bullied at school – or in the wider community.
“Families tell us that they feel that there more general hostility and negative attitudes directed towards them. These will inevitably filter down into school playgrounds and communities. It’s essential that schools talk about difference and are proactively challenge bullying in school and disablist language.”
Research shows that disabled children are more likely to be bullied due to a lack of understanding of different disabilities and conditions, which might mean they might look or behave differently. And disabled children may be more isolated due to their disability.
Reporting bullying can be difficult for a disabled child who may not be able to communicate what has happened or may not even realise that they are being bullied. Parents know their child best and can recognise changes in behaviour. If you know or suspect bullying is taking place, it’s important to keep a record. Explain the impact on the child to the school and try to work together to put strategies in place to ensure the bullying stops and your child feels safe.
Since the Schools White paper for England was published, there’s been growing concern from parents about the proposals and about whether their voices are being heard in the consultation process. Contact has been speaking directly to parents about their concerns and insights. We will combine this parental feedback with the data we regularly gather from our dedicated helpline and online advice service on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to form our response to the consultation, which closes May 18th.
We encourage parents who have the time and energy to complete the consultation themselves, but we want to reassure those that don’t, we will represent your views in our response.
Focus Groups
In March, Contact held eight Focus Groups about the Schools White Paper. Each group consisted of between 5-10 parents with children aged 4 to 25 who have a special educational need or disability (SEND). In total we spoke to 49 parents in England.
Their children had a variety of special educational needs including autism, mental health condition, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), Down Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, rare genetic condition, degenerative condition, ADHD, as well as others.
Anna Bird, Chief Executive of Contact, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the parents who took part in our series of focus groups last month. Your insights, concerns and suggested solutions will form a large part of Contact’s response to the government’s Schools White paper consultation.
“We’ve heard very clearly from most parents that they don’t trust the consultation process, and they don’t think the proposed reforms will work as they stand. There is a shared view that these proposals will reduce children’s rights. Parents, charities and educators are all saying that would be a failure. We will be very clear about this in our consultation response.
“What we’re also hearing is that parents are feeling fatigued by the whole process: the timing of the white paper, the number of other reforms impacting disabled children and their families, and the concern around what is and isn’t up for consultation have left some parents disengaging from the process. Government needs to hear that and understand the risk that presents.”
Parents concerns:
The loss of legal rights and enforceability. Parents are worried that, unlike EHCPs, the new Individual Support Plans (ISPs) do not carry a statutory duty to deliver support.
The reduced role of the SEND Tribunal and increased reliance on school-based complaints procedures; many believe this will lead to damaging relationships between parents and schools.
The reforms do not address the school environment and the potential to make schools more welcoming. It was agreed that schools becoming less results-driven and more nurturing, with smaller class sizes, less strict behaviour and uniform policies and a greater focus on wellbeing and a more rounded curriculum, would be a reform that would have significant benefits.
The introduction of “Targeted” and “Targeted Plus” support doesn’t represent a significant change from the current system. There is not enough detail to demonstrate how this is anything other than a change in terminology.
Parents welcome:
The aims of improving consistency across areas, strengthening mainstream inclusion, and promoting earlier identification of needs.
Individual Support Plans (ISPs) if done correctly have the potential to provide more flexible and responsive support.
The push for greater multidisciplinary working.
A nationally standardised EHCP format could reduce regional variation and make plans clearer for families.
A system that differentiates those who have profound, life-long medical and learning needs.
A system that is more equitable and doesn’t rely on having the time, knowledge and means to go through a tribunal process.
We will be submitting the full Focus Group report to the Department for Education and the Education Select Committee.
Data from our helpline and online services
We are also using data from enquiries to our national helpline to inform our consultation response.
This provides additional valuable insight, directly from parent carers, who contact us for advice about their child’s education.
We have already been proactively sharing parent carers’ insights with key stakeholders including ministers at select committees and with Department for Education policy teams, as well as contributing to roundtable discussions and SEND-focused working groups. This ongoing engagement ensures that the lived experiences of families are reflected in wider policy development.
SENDAP Reform, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT
The consultation closes on 11:59pm on18 May 2026.
After the consultation closes, any changes would still need to go through Parliament. Throughout that entire process, existing SEND law remains in place.
This advice applies in England only.
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.
Are you a parent carer looking for extra support?
Get the latest SEND updates, benefits advice, practical help caring for your child, plus free workshops and family events in our weekly email newsletter.
(Make sure you select ‘News updates’)
