Council and college leaders call for 'radical shake-up' of SEND support in further education
Joe Lepper
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Council and college leaders are calling for a “radical shake up” of the support young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive in further education.
The current high needs system in colleges “is not working”, argues a report commissioned by among others, the Local Government Association
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Topic hub: Special educational needs and disabilities
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Related news: SEND review delayed until ‘early next year’, Gavin Williamson confirms
The report says the system is “overly complicated” with colleges and councils faced with "excessive red tape", leaving students, their families, councils and colleges struggling to access support.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are not up to date, the report finds, with deadlines for help missed. This includes delays supporting young people when they make the move from secondary school to further education.
A lack of long-term planning in post-16 high needs provision is a key cause of the challenges families, colleges and councils face, states the report.
Judith Blake, chair of the LGA children and young people’s board, says that the current high needs further education system is “falling short of its potential, creating unnecessary tension and red tape for councils and colleges, while struggling to effectively support young people with special educational needs and disabilities”.
She added: “While there is evidence of current good practice by councils, an overhaul and streamlining of processes are needed to improve the system for local authorities and colleges in order to improve the experience and aspirations of students.
“This has become more urgent due to the huge increase in size and complexity of the task faced by councils and providers in supporting young people with SEND with funding not keeping up with the rising demand for support.”
Recommendations include prioritising collaboration between councils and colleges in planning support, including identifying where new provision is needed.
The report also includes examples where further education and council partnerships are working effectively.
Existing good practice other areas are urged to replicate include working with a range of local providers to develop support and to commission a package of tailored provision from multiple providers for individual students.
Transition support between secondary school and post-16 education needs to improve, with plans and funding agreed by the end of March of the year the young person transfers.
Further education providers also need to be given greater access to young people before they move to better understand their distinct “needs and aspirations”, the report states.
In addition, councils need to “take a strategic view of the emerging needs for post-16 provision and the providers best placed to meet these,” it adds.
The report has also been commissioned by, the Association of Colleges (AofC) and specialist college membership body Natspec.
Key elements of the current high needs systems are not working for those that use them. Find out more in our new High Needs Report, produced in partnership with @LGAcomms and @Natspec, showing why radical re-working is needed for the high needs FE system.https://t.co/RJ5vLV0DeO pic.twitter.com/SzRdeLeoj3
— Association of Colleges (AoC) (@AoC_info) December 3, 2020
Liz Maudsley, SEND police officer at the AofC said “there is a need for significant changes to implementation processes”.
Young people with the most complex needs are among the worst affected by the failures in support, added Natspec chief executive Clare Howard.
She said: “We welcome the recommendations that specialist colleges should be more involved in planning provision with local authorities, that decisions should be made earlier, and that young people should be more supported with transition.”