SEND review ‘months away’ from publication, Vicky Ford suggests
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, July 8, 2021
The government’s review of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may not be published for “months” due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the children’s minister has said.
Speaking at the Association of Directors of Children’s Services’ annual conference today (8 July), Vicky Ford told delegates that “the pandemic has inevitably slowed the pace of this crucial review but more importantly it has changed the context the SEND system is working in”.
“The review team and I will continue to work at pace in the coming months so we are in a position to publish strong proposals for improving SEND as soon as possible,” she said.
The SEND review, which was announced by the Department for Education in September 2019 was due to be published last Autumn.
In her opening address, ADCS president Charlotte Ramsden raised concerns that the review had “lost its mojo”.
“Inevitably delayed due to Covid, it has also been affected by a set of changed circumstances altering the landscape.
“To date in the review, there’s been too much focus on parental wishes and education provision without any incentive for schools to be more inclusive. ADCS will be urging the review to: clarify accountabilities not just responsibilities; invest in short breaks and family support, and secure commitment from national health partners to invest in children’s health needs,” she said.
At CYP Now’s SEND Summit: Policy Reform and Effective Practice, which took place last week, Andre Imich, SEN and disability professional adviser for the DfE said he did not expect the review to be published in the “next two to three weeks”, raising concerns it could be left until after parliament’s summer recess.
Earlier this week, families with clinically vulnerable children said they had been “forgotten” as Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced plans for Covid-19 restrictions in schools to be scrapped from 19 July.
