Written evidence submitted by Kids

(SFC0052)

1. About Kids

1.1. Kids is a national charity, founded in 1970, that provides a wide range of services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families in England. We support children at all ages and stages of childhood, from babies through to young adults, whatever their disability, and each year we support around 18,000 disabled children, young people and family members.

1.2. Kids services include play and social opportunities that help children with SEND to grow and expand their horizons while having fun – like specialist adventure playgrounds, after school activities, holiday play schemes, and youth clubs; advice and support that helps families to navigate the world of SEND and support when they need it most including SENDIASS and a Special Educational Needs and Disability Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service that helps families resolve disputes with the local authority or health service; and learning and development services including early years nurseries and family groups for under 5s, as well as projects helping teenagers like ‘Autism in Schools’.

1.3. We are delighted to have the opportunity to provide written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee Inquiry into support for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). Given our areas of expertise, this response focuses on what we hear and see, on the ground, of the experiences of thousands of families along with evidence of policy solutions that work. Reflecting the nature of our work, we will refer to the population in question as children and young people with SEND.

2. The overall picture on the support available and outcomes achieved for those with SEN

2.1. Evidence from the experiences and accounts of the 18,000 parents/ carers, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities supported every year by Kids reflects the NAO’s report findings - that there has been no improvement to the support available or outcomes achieved, despite the actions laid out in the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) SEND and AP improvement plan.

2.2. Although attendance data isn’t comprehensively available regarding pupils with SEND, the evidence available (e.g. schools and local authority data) shows that children with SEND too often miss out on education because their needs are not identified and met in a timely fashion.  In fact, in September 2024 it was reported by the Children’s Commissioner that hundreds of children with special educational needs are completely missing from education in England[1]. 

2.3. We see that a key driver of lack of support and poorer outcomes for children with SEND (compared to non-SEND peers) is the rising waiting lists - not just in education, but across health, social care and other services. Early assessment, diagnosis and intervention is widely recognised as the right course; but is not happening in practice. The long waiting lists for assessments or EHCPs are prevalent, with families reporting waiting over two years instead of the prescribed 20 weeks to get an EHCP and even12 months to reach a tribunal. The combined impact of being on multiple waiting lists (some of which, like an educational psychologist's report, may be required to secure an EHCP), is having a devastating impact on children and families.

2.4. A shortage of suitable early years placements for children with additional needs leaves many out of early education altogether, with only 6% of local authorities reporting sufficient childcare places for disabled children[2] and a worrying number of students are not in primary or secondary school because the setting cannot meet their needs.

2.5. Waiting lists mean that a child's needs are not identified or understood, and schools are making decisions to exclude on the grounds of behaviour without any understanding of what may be driving this. Many students or families are withdrawing themselves because the school cannot meet their needs.  Once out of school, students face delays to access statutory or community services which hampers their chances of being able to re-enter the classroom.

2.6. Family life is also severely impacted by long waits for support, with serious implications for the physical and mental health of all family members and the ability of parents to maintain paid work.

2.7. Many organisations such as Kids provide practical support solutions for children with SEND and their families. Some are specifically aimed at supporting families on long waiting lists; others are naturally filling in gaps as delays for assessment, diagnosis and treatment grow longer. All are vital in plugging a short-term gap whilst longer-term, sustainable solutions are identified and enacted.

2.8. Complicated procurement practices are making it harder for voluntary and community organisations and statutory organisations to collaborate to deliver sustainable, value-for-money services. SEND issues can be left out of procurement instead of being considered at the outset when, for example, a generalist mental health provider and a SEND specialist could forge a solution together to the high prevalence of mental health issues experienced by young people with SEND (often linked with a failure to meet needs earlier on).

2.9. However, there are places where commissioners, providers, young people and families are working in concert to develop and deliver flexible, value-for-money and impactful services. In Essex, for example, three Integrated Care Boards came together with Kids to commission a new service for young people (and their families) who are on the autism pathway or have just received a diagnosis of autism to understand the condition, develop their own coping strategies and build a peer support network. The resulting autism hub, with bite-size resources, interactive webinars and signposting to link people to local services gives a replicable model of needs-based, flexible and joined-up commissioning based on genuine co-production with young people and their families. Please see https://autismhub.kids.org.uk/for-professionals/.

2.10. Kids Policy Solutions October 2024 also details two further good practice examples from Kids: a pioneering SEND Community Navigator to provide a single point of contact for rounded support and guidance to ease the burden on families, and a holistic crisis intervention model that works. Please see https://www.kids.org.uk/policy-solutions/.

3. Government action to create a sustainable SEN system and restore confidence.

3.1. There was some good news for families of children with SEND in the headlines of the Autumn Budget[3], and the fact that SEND children are now being referenced in key fiscal events and decisions will start to go some way to building confidence.

3.2. Whilst the £1bn uplift in SEND funding is particularly welcome, its impact on children with SEND is not yet known, and will depend on whether it is new money or could be used by local authorities to plug deficits.

3.3. To restore confidence, the extra funding must mean children and families in these situations feel an immediate impact, so that fewer families fall into crisis. Money meant for children with SEND, must be spent directly on children with SEND, anything else will further diminish families’ confidence.

3.4. Over which period will the monies be spent, and how will urgent alleviation of need be balanced with longer term investment? How will the new monies lever stronger joint working across health, care and education? Rising waiting lists across health, care, education and other services are impacting more and more children and young people with SEND and their families every day. Given this, part of the funding should be used to reduce waiting lists for the thousands of children and young people waiting three years for an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or those waiting years for an ADHD or autism diagnosis. Otherwise, the Government will struggle to reverse a vicious cycle of late and increased spend for children whose needs have become more profound because they were not met earlier in their journey.

3.5. An additional factor is the imposition of increased costs via National Insurance on charities delivering services for children with SEND and their families. It’s right for minimum wage to uplifted to keep pace with cost of living. However, the evidence is that the Government has not factored in crucial importance of community services to children with SEND and their families and the significant role of charitable provision – and reliance of local authorities on this kind of provision (which includes crucial information and advice, as well as respite – both day and residential). Unless changes are made, the evidence is that charities will be forced to withdraw from services which will not necessarily be replaced, and there will be even more gaps in provision – leaving families without support and driving more towards crisis.

3.6. The evidence is that the Government is taking a fresh look at the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Change Programme and intends to reshape it to reflect new policy directions, including the welcome focus on inclusive education and launch of a Curriculum and Assessment Review. This is a welcome step because a significant barrier to the Change Programme’s progress has been the capacity of cash-strapped Local Authorities, dealing with the effects of multiple waiting lists for families with SEND, to engage with ‘pilots’ for the future, when their ability to meet the current system’s requirements is under strain.  

3.7. The Secretary of State for Education’s ambition for schools to replace a ‘tunnel vision’ focus[4] on exam results with a wider set of goals: wellbeing, belonging and attainment, has the potential, with the Curriculum and Assessment Review, to create a different and more genuinely inclusive model of education in which pupils with SEND are valued equally alongside their peers.

3.8. The Children’s Wellbeing Bill has the potential too, and could strengthen joint working between health, care and education agencies a critical factor in the ability of pupils with SEND to attend and thrive in mainstream (or specialist) education.

3.9. However, to address the scandalous number of children with SEND currently missing from schools, the Government must reassure parents and carers that they understand the reasons for absence. Supportive rather than punitive measures are required to support parental confidence that their child will have their needs met in mainstream education. Practical, non-judgemental support, for example to support a phased return to school, are essential. Any plans to introduce an attendance register must be shaped by these considerations.

3.10. Regarding the wider measures announced in the Budget to benefit SEND - the extra £2.3bn for schools, as well as breakfast clubs receiving tripled investment so that thousands more schools can provide them - families will be seeking swift assurance that children with SEND are considered at the outset and their needs reflected in implementation. For every child to have the best start in life, any wraparound care including breakfast clubs in schools must be inclusive. Children with SEND must be considered and central to implementation plans, to ensure this welcome expansion is properly resourced across all schools, and caters for their support needs.

3.11. Finally, there is evidence of the Government’s commitment to ensuring the childcare expansion benefits babies and toddlers with SEND who are disproportionately less likely to have a nursery or childminder’s place. As the Government continues to expand early years provision, concrete measures to increase inclusion of babies and toddlers with SEND will be required, clearly evidencing that the 300 new school-based nurseries will be properly set up to include babies and toddlers with SEND.

4. Conclusion

4.1. There is ample evidence of failings and strong consensus on what is not working – that spend is not translating into good outcomes for every child with SEND.

4.2. There are promising signals of a fresh and inclusive direction and some levers to achieve this (like the Curriculum and Assessment Review), however there is currently no evidence available of how this will shape a coherent and credible SEND programme of reform.

4.3. There is also no evidence that system reform is even possible at this stage – when urgent sticking plaster investment is required to meet basic identification, diagnosis and support needs for children and families on waiting lists.

4.4. Community services (like respite and activity breaks and holiday programmes) are key to supporting the ability of children with SEND to access and stay in mainstream schooling and families' ability to care and work. Evidence that the Government understands and is willing to invest in these services will be a crucial part of restoring families’ confidence that they understand the entirety of their lives and are serious about achieving sustainable reform.

4.5. The Secretary of State for Education has emphasised the importance of involving all stakeholders in the SEND system in the next phase of reform and has appointed a specialist adviser on SEND to play a convening role. The SEND system relies on the formal education system, community provision, other agencies including health, social care and leisure, and the resourcefulness and expertise of children, young people and families. All groups must now be involved meaningfully in shaping and delivering change.

November 2024