The Government’s SEND and alternative provision green paper, published today, sets out its vision for a single, national SEND and alternative provision (AP) system that will introduce new standards in the quality of support given to children across education, health and care.
Backed by £70 million of new funding, the green paper sets out proposals which include:
- setting new national standards across education, health and care
- a simplified Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) through digitising plans
- a new legal requirement for councils to introduce ‘local inclusion plans’
- the publication of new ‘local inclusion dashboards’ to make roles and responsibilities of all partners within the system clearer for parents and young people
- a new national framework for councils for banding and tariffs of High Needs, to match the national standards
- changing the culture and practice in mainstream education through earlier intervention and improved targeted support
- introducting a new SENCo NPQ for school SENCos and increasing the number of staff with an accredited level 3 qualification in early years settings
- a reformed and integrated role for alternative provision (AP), with a new delivery model in every local area focused on early intervention.
Steve Edmonds, director of advice and guidance at NGA commented:“We welcome the publication of the green paper although it is regrettable that it has taken so long for these proposals to be produced when so many pupils and families experience delays and challenges in getting the support they need.
Governing boards have statutory responsibilities for pupils with SEND and must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEND gets the support they need. However, the combination of increased demand for support, cost pressures and reduced capacity within local authorities means that, at many schools, the best endeavours of the governing board may not be sufficient to improve provision and outcomes. The proposals set out in the green paper have the potential to address this and create a more inclusive system by focusing on improving outcomes, making it easier to navigate the system and more effective use of resources. NGA will respond in detail to the public consultation and reiterate our call for bold improvements and system change.”