SEN reforms 'at risk' due to slow pace of implementation

From September, local authorities must introduce a new system for assessing the needs of children and young people with SEN and ensuring services are then put in place to meet these. The reforms are a key part of the Children and Families Act 2014, and have been extensively trialled over the past two years.?

However, an evaluation carried out by SQW found that half the non-pathfinder areas that responded to a series of surveys at the end of 2013 had implemented between none and three of the nine main elements of the reforms.?

“This implied that a large number of non-pathfinder areas still had a lot to do and posed a potential risk that some of these areas would not meet the requirements of the reforms within the legislative timeframe,” the researchers concluded.?

By comparison, the research showed 80 per cent of pathfinder areas had developed, or were developing, between seven and nine of the reform elements.?

The evaluation highlighted that progress on implementing the reforms was more advanced within SEN services than health and social care services, partly due to a lack of capacity to engage or clarity on how to contribute on the part of practitioners.?

Most of the elements of the education, health and care plans are well advanced in their development, however much work still needs to be done on the key issue of eligibility criteria for the plans, joint commissioning arrangements between the local authority and clinical commissioning groups, and personal budgets.?

Although the evaluation said the slow development in non-pathfinder areas was to be expected due to many not starting to implement them until October 2013, it concluded the pace of change will need to increase “to ensure all the requirements are achieved”.?

SQW recommends that the progress of non-pathfinder sites should be closely monitored over the next few months and additional support offered for areas that need it.?

The report concludes: “Many areas seemed comfortable with the timescale, with just 41 per cent of service leads saying that they required further support. However, from the experience of the pathfinders there could be some concern that these developments usually take longer. It may be that non-pathfinders can move more quickly by building on the experience of pathfinders, but the risk remains that they had not fully assessed the work required.”?

The research included online surveys of SEN service leads, providers and parents, and focus groups with young people across 74 areas.