Written evidence submitted by The Disabled Children's Partnership

(SFC0037)

Response to the Public Accounts Committee Call for Evidence on SEND Support

Introduction

1.                We welcome the opportunity to submit evidence to the Public Accounts Committee's review of support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

About the Disabled Children’s Partnership

2.                The Disabled Children’s Partnership is a coalition of more than 120 charities, parent groups and other organisations that campaigns for better support for disabled children and their families.

Evidence of a Crisis in SEND Support

3.                The fact that SEND support is in crisis is uncontested and has been evidenced through a wide range of research and reviews over recent years – including most recently in the National Audit Office report.  We have not, therefore, rehearsed that evidence here.  However, we are concerned that the crisis is often viewed purely or primarily through a financial lens; and in particular on the growth of the high needs budget and the increasing level of local authority deficits.
4.                Whilst this is, of course, important, the primary focus must be on the impact on children and families who are failed by the system.  The consequences are severe for children and their families, as evidenced by our report "Failed and Forgotten"[1] (DCP, 2023). Here are some alarming statistics:
• Reduced educational attainment and development: 7 in 10 parents reported that their child's development had regressed due to lack of support.
• Mental health issues: 7 in 10 parents also reported their children experiencing increased anxiety due to the lack of support available.
• Family stress and breakdown: Over a third (38%) of parents have experienced marriage/relationship breakdown in the last 12 months as a result of lack of support for their child. 87% of parents reported experiencing high levels of mental health problems themselves.  

Recommendations for Improvement

5.                There are a number of steps that the government must take to transform support for children with SEND.  We have seen some early encouraging signs of action in these areas, but it needs to be seen through and accelerated.  Below we have set out six areas of action.

Refocusing mainstream:

• Ensure that all early years providers schools and colleges are inclusive and have the resources and expertise to meet the needs of all children.
• Develop a curriculum that is accessible and engaging for all children, regardless of their abilities.
• Use assessments that are fair and equitable and recognise progression and achievement appropriately for all children
• Require approaches to behaviour management which recognise and understand the need of children with SEND.
• Provide schools with government funded resources – eg identification tools – commissioned at national level

Workforce:

• Increase all early years, school and college staff’s understanding, skills and confidence in special educational needs, including senior leaders, teaching and non-teaching staff, and ensure schools have sufficient staff with appropriate skills.
• Mandate that SENCOs are part of the senior leadership team
• Ensure that there is an integrated support offer for schools, including sufficient educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and other specialists to support children with SEN and disabilities.

Accountability including holding local authorities and others to account for delivering their statutory duties:

• Hold early years providers, schools, colleges, councils and the health service to account for meeting statutory duties
• Introduce stronger performance measures for local authorities, early years providers, schools and colleges in relation to SEN and disability.
• Make it easier for parents to challenge decisions made by local authorities and schools and get redress – widen role of the LGSCO to cover schools

Joint working and commissioning:

• Improve collaboration between early years providers, schools, colleges, local authorities, health services, and other agencies involved in supporting children with SEN and disabilities.
• Develop joint commissioning frameworks to ensure that children with SEN and disabilities receive the support they need.
• Recognise parents’ role as experts in their children and partners in providing support to their children

Support for families

• Ensure there is sufficient and appropriate help for families, to support parents to meet their children’s needs and to address the specific needs of siblings

Funding:

• Increase funding for SEN and disability services.
• Allocate funding directly to schools and local authorities to support their work with children with SEN and disabilities.
• Extend the statutory override and write off existing deficits, whilst developing a sustainable and effective funding model for the long term

Maintaining and strengthening existing legal protections:

• Guarantee no weakening of existing rights and responsibilities
• Put SEN support on a statutory footing
• Provide parents with better access to (legal advice), support and advocacy.

6.                We are happy to provide detail and rationale for these recommendations if the committee would find it helpful.

November 2024