Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Paragraph: 53
The “reasonable endeavours” duty in relation to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans is a...
Conclusion
The “reasonable endeavours” duty in relation to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans is a nebulous concept, which has been inconsistently interpreted and poorly understood by some local authorities, whose support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities fell far short of an acceptable standard after the issuing of national section 42 notices from May to July. There were extreme examples of local authorities failing to communicate at all with children and young people and their families. This is clearly unacceptable. We understand and support the intention to provide local authorities with flexibility to adapt to local circumstances during the pandemic, but they must not be allowed to interpret a relaxed duty as leeway to do nothing to support children and young people’s needs.
Paragraph Reference:
53
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
: WESC recommendation: The Government must demonstrate that it is keeping local authorities’ use of Care Act easements under thorough review and allow for proper scrutiny of data on the effects on disabled people. We welcome the Government’s commitment to publishing Think Local Act Personal’s report on the effects as part of the six-monthly review process. We urge the Government to ensure the report and all the accompanying data are published before the forthcoming six-monthly review and vote in the House, and each subsequent six-monthly review debate and vote, on temporary Coronavirus Act provisions, so that they can be used to inform the debates.