Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 18
18
We asked the Department what actions it had taken to help children with SEND to...
Conclusion
We asked the Department what actions it had taken to help children with SEND to learn from home. It told us that it recognised many children with SEND faced real difficulties in learning remotely. As examples of actions it had taken, it highlighted: the SEND-specific provision offered by Oak National Academy which had been welcomed because it allowed people to work at their own pace; expertise on SEND remote education 25 COE0014 SENSE submission, page 4 26 C&AG’s Report, para 2.3 27 COE0014 SENSE submission, page 3 28 Q 76 29 Letter to Committee from DfE dated 22 April 2021 30 Q 76 31 COE0014 SENSE submission, pages 5–6 32 COE0022 University of Reading submission, pages 3–4 12 COVID-19: Support for children’s education highlighted by its programme for demonstrating good practice in the use of education technology; and SEND-specific components of online training for remote education it was providing to schools.33
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2021 3.2 As part of the department’s 2020-21 recovery plan, it is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and Public Health England to establish what impact the pandemic has had on access to therapies so that it has the right actions in place to help children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 3.3 In November 2020, DHSC announced £500 million for mental health and the NHS workforce. As part of that, £31 million will be used to address challenges faced by individuals with a learning disability and autistic people, including £3 million for community respite services for autistic children and young people, and children and young people with a learning disability. 3.4 The department is also investing an additional £79 million in mental health in schools support teams to cover around 35% of pupils in England by 2023. 3.5 The department continues to work closely with DHSC to make children’s mental health and wellbeing a central part of its response.