Families win right to personal budgets for SEN support

In its formal response to the public consultation on the SEN green paper, the government also confirmed plans to introduce legislation that will require education, health and social care services to jointly plan provision for children with additional needs.

This will be achieved through a new single assessment process and care plan for all children from birth to age 25, introduced from 2014.

Meanwhile all councils will be required to publish a local offer detailing support available to disabled children and those with SEN, while children are to receive a new legal right to be prioritised for places at state academies and free schools.

Children’s minister Sarah Teather said the current SEN system is “outdated and not fit for purpose”.

“Thousands of families have had to battle for months, even years, with different agencies to get the specialist care their children need,” she said.

“It is unacceptable they are forced to go from pillar to post – facing agonising delays and bureaucracy to get support, therapy and equipment.

“These reforms will put parents in charge. We trust parents to do the right thing for their own child because they know what is best.

“The right to a personal budget will give them real choice and control of care, instead of councils and health services dictating how they get support.”

Srabani Sen, chief executive of Contact a Family, welcomed proposals to simplify and join up the system of support for disabled children.

But she warned: “We are concerned that the education, health and care plan will only be available to children who need support in education. This could mean that disabled children whose first need is for social care or health support will miss out.

“In addition while the aims of the SEN green paper are laudable, this is against a backdrop of cuts to welfare and local authority budgets which will have a huge impact on disabled children and their families.”

Chris Keates, general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, added: “In circumstances where education funding is declining in real terms, the ability of the system to ensure that pupils with high levels of need get the care and support they require is only likely to become increasingly constrained.

"Personal budgets may sound superficially attractive but are simply vouchers by any other name. They rightly will be seen by many parents as wholly irrelevant to their concerns.”

The consultation on the SEN green paper received around 2,400 formal responses. A number of the SEN reforms are already being piloted in 20 local pathfinder areas.

Interim evaluation reports on the pathfinders are due to be published in summer and late autumn this year.