Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Evidence reviewed from DfE and DHSC on support for children with special educational needs.
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department), and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on support for children and young people with special educational needs in England.1
Government Response Summary
The government states it is working with Ofsted to improve accountability and expertise, has appointed a Strategic Advisor for SEND, and will continue working with the Ministry of Justice to understand rising appeal rates, potentially delivering SEND training for caseworkers in 2024.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. without the need for a Tribunal appeal. However, the department recognises that some families struggle to get the right support they need, when they need it. Issues causing Tribunal appeals will be best resolved through the broader systemic reform which the department is developing, which will take time. This is why it is working with Ofsted now to improve mainstream accountability and to increase expertise in the workforce. The department will work closely with experts on the SEND reforms, and have recently appointed a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in engaging the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children, and families, as it considers next steps on reform. In the meantime, the department will continue to work with Ministry of Justice, the SEND Tribunal and local authorities to better understand why appeal rates continue to rise sharply and address the key reasons why the Tribunal finds in favour of appellants, at least in part, for most appeals. For example, the department could look to build on work it has done before with the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) and the Council for Disabled Children to develop and deliver “SEND and the law” training sessions for local authority SEND caseworkers, delivered in 2024.