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1718047

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) children and (b) adults have required a SEND placement in each of the last 20 years.
tabling member constituency	Redditch
tabling member printed	Rachel Maclean
uin	26239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>The department recognises that special educational needs (SEN) is a broad term, and that a child is defined as having a SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. The Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan process is driven by a child's needs rather than any diagnosis they might have. The EHC needs assessment identifies the child or young person’s SEN, together with any relevant health or social care needs. The local authority, with advice from its partners, then considers whether to issue an EHC plan, which specifies provision to meet each identified need. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with SEN does not require a diagnostic label or test. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have SEN that requires an EHC plan if they are requested to do so.</p><p>The department does not hold a breakdown by age group of individuals assessed over the last 10 years because the SEN2 collection has changed into an individual level collection from an aggregate level last year. Therefore, there is one year (2022) that shows the number of assessments carried out broken down by single years of age, which is attached.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of figures over time, the number of people assessed for a statement (which were replaced in 2014 by EHC plans, with no new statements since 2015), the number of individuals assessed for an EHC plan, and the number of people assessed where an EHC plan was issued are available at the following link: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b4f6814c-b0da-43d1-0b12-08dc74c3bb80" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b4f6814c-b0da-43d1-0b12-08dc74c3bb80</a></p><p> </p><p>The department publishes information about SEN and EHC plans annually on the GOV.UK website. The information for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england</a>. The data for the 2023 reporting year can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 26242 26243 question first answered 22/05/2024 15:26:46 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston attachment 1 file name 26239 26242 26243 Table attachment.xlsx title 26239_26242_26243_Table_attachment
tabling member	4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean

1718052

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) school, (b) alternative provision and (c) other places for (i) children and (ii) adults with (A) SEND and (B) an education, health and care plan there were in each of the last 20 years.
tabling member constituency	Redditch
tabling member printed	Rachel Maclean
uin	26244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>Data on special educational needs (SEN) provision was collected for the first time in the School Capacity Survey (SCAP) in 2023. Local authorities provided the capacity, as at May 2023, of special schools plus SEN units and resourced provision in mainstream schools. This includes post-16 capacity in secondary specialist provision, where appropriate, and does not include independent or alternative provision. As a new data collection, the department expects the quality of the data returns to improve over time as the collection becomes established. However, it should be noted that all local authorities returned data as requested for this first collection. Data was published as official statistics in development here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity</a>.</p><p> </p><p>There were 148,000 special school places reported in 2022/23, including 60,000 primary places and 88,000 secondary. This is alongside 9,000 places in SEN units, of which 6,000 were in primary schools and 3,000 in secondary, and 18,000 places in resourced provision, of which 10,000 were in primary schools and 8,000 in secondary, in mainstream schools. Data is not available by age. Secondary places in some special schools will include places for some young people over compulsory school age.</p><p> </p><p>The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils with SEN support and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans over time. Due to the request ranging back 20 years, there are three publications required to answer the question. The most recent figures are from the 2022/23 academic year and are available here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england</a>. These statistics date back to 2015/16.</p><p> </p><p>Data prior to 2015/16 is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015</a> and data prior to 2007 is available here: <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20070905140107/http:/www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000661/index.shtml" target="_blank">https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20070905140107/http:/www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000661/index.shtml</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department does not hold historical trend information on adults with SEN and their placements. This is because the Special Educational Needs survey only accounts for school pupils. Also, the SEN2 collection has changed into an individual level collection from an aggregate level last year.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 22/05/2024 15:30:53 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean

1717180

registered interest
date	10/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average annual cost per child of an education, health and care plan was in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Redditch
tabling member printed	Rachel Maclean
uin	25685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>The department does not hold this information. <br> <br> However, the department is reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system so that, where children require an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and specialist provision, they get access to the support they need and parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this. Through Multi-Agency Panels, templates and supporting materials for the EHC plan process, tailored lists and strengthened mediation arrangements, the department’s SEND reforms focus on:</p><ul><li>Improving the quality of EHC plans and making the process more consistent.</li><li>Reducing conflicts through better co-production.</li><li>Improving the outcomes of children and young people.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The department is also significantly increasing the high needs budget, which is worth £10.54 billion by 2024/25 and worth 60% more than in 2019/20.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 20/05/2024 15:51:15 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean

1713474

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the number of places for (a) children with autism and (b) children with special needs in schools.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	23389
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>In March 2024, the department announced trusts to run 30 new special free schools, which included 17 designated to cater for pupils with autism. The Spring Budget announced funding for 15 special free schools. The department will announce the location of these new schools in May.</p><p>In March the department also published just under £850 million of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years. This funding forms part of our transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025. Local authorities can use the funding to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:56:54 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1713517

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the backlog in issuing education, health and care (EHC) plans for children; and whether she plans to make an assessment of the impact of delays on the (a) short and (b) long term development of children.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	23392
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – including failing to produce timely Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments – the department will work with them using a range of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address weaknesses.</p><p> </p><p>The department’s SEND and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan recognised the need to reduce delays in children and young people receiving timely assessments and support and has a clear focus on early intervention. Through the SEND and AP Change Programme, the department is testing a range of reforms to improve the EHC plan process, including standardised templates and guidance, the use of multi-agency panels to improve decision-making, digital reforms, and strengthened mediation arrangements.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:54:42 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1701933

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan published in March 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure families have confidence in the mediation process set out in that plan.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Hallam
tabling member printed	Olivia Blake
uin	22429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>The reforms set out in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision Improvement Plan are geared towards making families’ overall experience of the SEND system more positive through more collaborative, consistent and transparent decision-making, thereby increasing parental confidence and leading to a less adversarial system.</p><p> </p><p>The department wants to rebalance the SEND system through earlier identification of need and through support provided, where possible, in mainstream settings. The department is currently testing a range of measures through the Change Programme. The department believes the Change Programme will make the biggest improvements to the quality of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, and the experience of getting them. These measures include multi-agency panels to improve the quality of decision making and parental confidence in the EHC needs assessment process, a single national EHC plan template and guidance, advisory tailored lists and measures to resolve disagreements more quickly through the use of strengthened mediation procedures.</p><p> </p><p>Strengthening mediation is key part of the departments proposals. This is because where effective mediation takes place, disputes can be resolved earlier, without the need to appeal to the Tribunal. The department is working closely with the Council for disabled children to develop bespoke mediation guidance for families so that they understand the process, their rights and the benefits of mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Recognising the importance of families receiving high-quality mediation, the department is working with the Civil Mediation Council and the College of Mediators to review and build on their existing professional standards for SEND mediators, first published in 2018, which apply to their joint register of accredited mediators. The department has engaged parents/carers, children and young people in the drafting and testing of the guidance and standards.</p><p> </p><p>The department are also developing and testing a good practice delivery model for SEND mediation to help improve the quality and consistency of mediation provision, as well as gathering more data on the impact and outcomes of mediation.</p><p> </p><p>All of these things taken together should help improve family confidence in the overall SEND system, as well as in the mediation process.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 22/04/2024 12:30:36 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4864 label Biography information for Olivia Blake

1696480

registered interest
date	15/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities are more involved in the delivery of (a) education and (b) health services for children with SEND.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18904
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2024 answer text <p>Local authorities already have existing statutory responsibilities to develop, publish and review the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) local offer, to ensure that the range of provision and services available in their local area are sufficient and well suited to the needs of children with SEND.</p><p>In the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department have committed to establishing new local SEND and AP partnerships, convened by the local authority, that will bring together local partners to strategically plan and commission support for children and young people with SEND and AP. SEND and AP partnerships are a collaborative network of individuals, including health commissioners and education providers, who are working together to strategically plan SEND services. They will be underpinned by strengthened accountabilities and improved use of data for all those responsible for local delivery.</p><p>Moreover, the department has established a steering group to oversee a joint Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care approach to SEND workforce planning. This feeds into the National SEND and AP Implementation Board and aims to be complete by 2025. The work will build on the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan published in June 2023, which sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years.</p><p>The Improvement Plan also committed to the Change Programme which was launched in September 2023, and is testing key SEND and AP reforms with 32 local authorities in each of the 9 regions. The department, working with its Delivery Partner, Reaching Excellence and Ambition for all Children (REACh), are providing these local authorities with ‘boots on the ground’ support for the testing of these reforms. We are also running a live feedback loop that is providing early insights into how the reforms and supporting documents are working and identifying required changes.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 18903 question first answered 25/03/2024 14:00:58 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell