Government to set up national SEN helpline for parents

Brian Lamb, chair of the Special Educational Consortium, led the review, which found too many parents of children with SEN struggle to get the support they need.

Lamb called for a cultural shift in how schools, councils and other services work with parents and children.

As well as the advice helpline, Lamb’s report recommends introducing improved independent appeals panels for children with SEN who are excluded from school.

The report also suggests that codes of practice be reviewed so that professionals must consider a child’s needs first, rather than the cost of services.

New pilot schemes will investigate how to make local authority decision making more transparent, so that parents can be confident that choices made are in the interests of the child.

The Local Government Ombudsman and the Anti-Bullying Alliance will receive extra funding to improve the complaints process for parents and identify best practice in tackling SEN band disability-related bullying.

Lamb said parents too often have to "battle" to get the educational needs of their children identified and met.

He explained: "There needs to be a radical recasting of the relationship between parents, schools and local authorities to ensure a clearer focus on the outcomes and life chances for children with SEN and disability. We have a unique opportunity now to make a real and lasting change for future generations of children."

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said he would set out plans for making further improvements to the SEN system in the New Year.

"We are now working to ensure all parents have confidence in decision making by giving them and their children a stronger voice at the heart of the SEN system," he said.