Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
8
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school …
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The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school or college remained below 11% from 23 March to late May, and reached a weekly average of 26% by the end of the summer term.11
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern about low attendance of vulnerable children and describes ongoing work with local authorities on data collection for social care referrals, and highlights the £24 million Children’s Social Care recovery fund and interventions in inadequate local authorities.
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HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
The number of referrals to children’s social care services, during the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020, was around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years.17 In its written evidence, the NSPCC told us that, under normal circumstances, universal services …
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The number of referrals to children’s social care services, during the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020, was around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years.17 In its written evidence, the NSPCC told us that, under normal circumstances, universal services like schools and children’s centres were vital for detecting and escalating early signs of abuse. It said that there was no national expectation about who was accountable for following up and ensuring children were safe if they did not attend school.18
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern about reduced social care referrals and lack of national accountability, describing ongoing efforts with local authorities to collect and interpret referral data, support safeguarding, and provide £24 million through the Children’s Social Care recovery fund.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
On 1 May 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans, to give local authorities, health commissioning bodies, education providers and other bodies more flexibility in the context of the pandemic. These changes temporarily removed the requirement to complete assessments and plans within …
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On 1 May 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans, to give local authorities, health commissioning bodies, education providers and other bodies more flexibility in the context of the pandemic. These changes temporarily removed the requirement to complete assessments and plans within a fixed timeframe, and responsible bodies were required only to use their ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure the provision within an EHC plan.24 In its written evidence, SENSE (a national charity for those living with complex disabilities) told us that, while it understood the need 15 Q 56 16 Q 57 17 C&AG’s Report, para 2.8 18 COE0026 NSPCC submission, pages 1–2 19 Q 54 20 Q 52 21 COE0026 NSPCC submission, page 4 22 Q 55 23 Q 85 24 C&AG’s Report, para 1.14 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 11 to relieve pressure on schools, local authorities and health commissioners, the changes had left families without the care and support they relied on to look after their disabled children safely. It also told us that many children’s support had not been fully reinstated, despite the temporary legal changes no longer being in place.25
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns regarding the impact of temporary EHC law changes, stating it is working with health departments to assess the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health support and services for individuals with learning disabilities and …
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HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who had an EHC plan were eligible to continue attending school throughout the pandemic, provided a risk assessment had determined that they would be at least as safe in school as at home.26 However, SENSE told us that the guidance on how …
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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who had an EHC plan were eligible to continue attending school throughout the pandemic, provided a risk assessment had determined that they would be at least as safe in school as at home.26 However, SENSE told us that the guidance on how these risk assessments should be conducted or what should be included was insufficient and vague. It said that many of the children it supported had been automatically assessed as being safer at home, and had not been able to access the support they usually received at school, putting them in a vulnerable position. It also suggested that, in some cases, the risk assessments were carried out without the knowledge of, or input from, families.27 The Department explained that it exercised oversight of these issues through local authorities, who took the lead on EHC plans and risk assessments.28 In subsequent written evidence, the Department said that it had not asked local authorities to inform it of the outcome of their risk assessments and therefore it did not know how many children these assessments had placed at home.29
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns about the adequacy and implementation of risk assessments for SEND children, stating it is assessing the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health and support for learning disabilities and autistic people.
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HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
Written evidence we received made it clear that some children with SEND struggled to learn remotely. SENSE told us that home learning resources were not always appropriate or tailored to the needs of children with complex disabilities, and that many children were left without the specialist equipment they needed, making …
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Written evidence we received made it clear that some children with SEND struggled to learn remotely. SENSE told us that home learning resources were not always appropriate or tailored to the needs of children with complex disabilities, and that many children were left without the specialist equipment they needed, making it more difficult for them to communicate and learn remotely.31 The Institute of Education at the University of Reading highlighted how some parents had to adapt learning materials sent by schools to fit their child’s needs or source alternative materials from elsewhere.32
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns regarding the difficulties SEND children faced with remote learning and lack of appropriate resources, stating it is assessing the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health support and services for individuals with learning disabilities …
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HM Treasury
30
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
We asked the Department how it would know that the catch-up programme was working. It said that evaluation would be a central part of the development of the NTP, and that success would be achieved if the schemes reached large numbers of children who would benefit from tutoring and if …
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We asked the Department how it would know that the catch-up programme was working. It said that evaluation would be a central part of the development of the NTP, and that success would be achieved if the schemes reached large numbers of children who would benefit from tutoring and if those children made significant progress as a result. The Department has commissioned independent evaluations of the NTP ‘tuition partners’ and academic mentors schemes, and an independent research study into how schools are using catch-up premium funds. However, the Department did not tell us more precisely what indicators it would use to judge the effectiveness of individual schemes or the catch-up programme as a whole.53 National Tutoring Programme
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation but describes its ongoing monitoring, target setting for providers, and evaluations without specifically committing to provide the requested precise indicators to the committee.
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HM Treasury