Health services neglected under SEN reforms, government warned

According to a report by the education select committee, proposed legislation on the government’s SEN reforms does too little to explain how health services will work in partnership with education and social care providers.

The legislation, which is contained in the draft Children and Families Bill, places a duty on health services to commission provision for children with SEN and disabilities, with partners in social care.

But MPs are concerned there is no legal duty on health organisations to provide support as part of new birth to age 25 health, education and social care plans.

The report warns: “The vast majority of evidence to our inquiry views the lack of statutory duties on health as a major failing of the draft legislation.”

MPs also want assurances that disabled children without educational needs, young people undertaking apprenticeships and those not in education, employment or training will be entitled to a joint education, health and care plan under the new system.

Committee chair Graham Stuart MP said: “One of the most pressing concerns is making sure that health organisations are involved in the delivery of support and we are urging the government to tie them down to make sure they are looking after children’s needs.”

Among those to give evidence to the committee was the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, which is calling for councils to be given greater powers to hold health organisations to account for the quality of support they offer children.

Jo Campion, deputy director of policy and campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, backed calls for a legal duty on health services to support children with SEN.

She said: “We already know of a parent with a seven-year-old severely deaf child who was trialling the new education, health and social care plans and saw absolutely no involvement from health services, despite four requests for support from four different health professionals. This is not good enough.”

Srabani Sen, chief executive of Contact a Family, said health services should be subject to the same legal requirements to support disabled children as education providers.

“We welcome many aspects of the education select committee report,” she added. “The committee’s recommendation that entitlement to integrated support and education, health and care plans should be extended to disabled children, with or without SEN, is key to making the reforms work for all families with disabled children.”

A Department for Education spokesman welcomed the education select committee’s report and said government would respond to its “detailed suggestions” in the new year.

“We want the very best for children and young people with special educational needs,” he said.

“It is clear that the current system does not work well enough for them. We want all public services to work together for their benefit. Our reforms are being trialled across 31 local authorities to make sure we get this right.”