Review reveals lack of transparency on SEN funding

In his report, SEND: The Schools and Colleges Experience, Conservative MP Lee Scott said more transparency, accountability and consistency is needed in schools and local authorities around the funding they receive from government to support families with SEN.

"Money is passed on by government to local authorities and to schools, but it's not clear how this money is being spent," he states in the report.

He urges that schools and local authorities should make it clearer to families where the money is invested.

Scott, who was asked by former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to carry out the review in March, also found that there was a lack of communication between local authorities, schools and colleges, with individual cases of SEN.

"It's important that the government, and other leadership agencies, continue to send out strong messages about the importance of good communication with families," he said.

"Improvement in this area, across all agencies and in every area, would go a long way to making a reality of the ‘person-centred' approach the SEND system is trying to achieve."

Scott has also called for more training for staff working with young people, particularly in education settings where social, emotional and mental health problems can impact on a child's ability to learn.

Scott has recommended that more is done to allow, and encourage, staff in schools and colleges to support young people with medical needs, particularly those on SEN support.

"A child or young person's educational development can be significantly disrupted if they have to have it punctuated by periods unnecessarily spent at home or in hospital for something health-related, particularly where that need, and the support required to meet that need, might be quite basic," he states.

Amanda Batten, chief executive of Contact a Family, welcomed the report's focus on improving communication.

"There are 1.2 million children with a special educational need and only 256,315 have a statement or education, health and care plan, so it is important that the education system is working for every child that needs extra help at school and college," she said.
 
"We welcome the review shining a spotlight on wider issues including illegal exclusions, school transport and the problems parents face when their child has long-term absence or sporadic attendance at school due to medical needs."

Scott spoke to children with SEN and their parents, and visited colleges and schools to develop an understanding of their experiences of services.