Demand better support for disabled children in England

3 mins read

Friday 24 June 2022

Tags: SEND review, SEND REview consultation, SEND Review Green Paper, SEND System of support

The government is looking into ways to change how disabled children get support in England through a set of proposals in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Green Paper.

Some of the government’s plans contain several worrying proposals that could further weaken the rights of families with disabled children and make it even harder for them to access support. As part of the #SENDABetterMessage campaign, with the help of parent carers, the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) have simplified the government’s consultation into 6 simple questions on the most urgent points.

We would encourage parent carers, young people, and anyone else with experience the SEND system including health and social care services to get involved and have your voice heard.

You have until 22 July to share your views.

Will my views on the 6 questions count towards the government consultation?

The DCP have agreed with the Department for Education (DfE) that all responses to the 6 questions will count towards the government consultation.  You can also respond to the official consultation if you wish.

What do the 6 questions cover?

Question 1: One of the proposed changes in the government’s reforms is to change the way parent carers pick schools. Instead of a parent specifying a school, a local council would instead give parents a ‘tailored list of placements’ from which to choose.

Would you be confident in being able to get the right school or college placement for your child under this arrangement?

Question 2: How do you think accountability in the SEND system can be improved?

Question 3: Do you agree with the government’s plans to require parents and local authorities to go through mediation before a parent can appeal to the SEND Tribunal?

Question 4: What do you think needs to be done to make mainstream nurseries, schools, and colleges better able to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND?

Question 5: Do you think it possible for a national system of tariffs to meet the specific circumstances of different children and young people?

Question 6: Do you have any other comments on the proposals in the SEND Green Paper? What are the key things you think need to change to improve support for disabled children and their families?

How do I respond to the government consultation?

As well as via the DCP’s 6 simplified questions, you can also give your views via the government consultation here until the 22 July (until 11.45pm). There are 22 questions in the government’s official SEND Review green paper consultation but you can respond to as many or as few of these as you like – so don’t worry if you can’t complete all 22 questions.