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<p>The Department is monitoring implementation of the reforms and transition to the
new system closely. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission began inspecting local
area effectiveness in meeting their special educational needs and disability (SEND)
duties in May. All areas will be inspected over a five year period and the findings
published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspection-outcome-letters"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspection-outcome-letters</a></p><p>
</p><p>The Department also draws on a wide range of research, surveys and data as
well as feedback from our professional SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department has issued £113million in funding between 2014-15 and 2016-17
through the SEND Implementation Grant to support local authorities to carry out the
SEND reforms. It is the responsibility of local authorities to make best use of this
funding to support them to fulfill their duties. The Department has also funded the
Autism Education Trust (£650,000 in 2016-17) to deliver autism training to education
professionals in England. The Trust has trained more than 100,000 education staff
since 2012. The training offered by the Autism Education Trust incorporates the learning
from previous work by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting transition
from school to college, and the contract also covers a service provided by the National
Autistic Society that provides information and advice to parents and professionals
on exclusions.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has not made an assessment of how the
new system of support for children with SEND is meeting the needs of those with autism
in particular. However, there have been a number of significant changes to the SEND
system which particularly benefit children and young people with autism. This includes
the publication of ‘local offers’ of SEND services by local authorities, the introduction
of streamlined education, health and care needs assessments and plans, and new statutory
protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education.</p><p> </p><p>Under
the Department’s Free Schools programme, there are now nineteen special free schools
open across England, including several that are specifically for children with Autism,
such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds and
the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a
further fourteen special free schools due to open in the future, seven of which will
specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Heartlands Autism
free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard
free school in Lambeth. Several of the other schools will offer some places for children
with autism.</p>
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