Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 84
84
Accepted
Appoint a dedicated national SEND lead within DHSC to drive health system accountability.
Recommendation
The Department of Health and Social Care must urgently appoint a dedicated national SEND lead to drive accountability and coordination across the health system. This role must be empowered and mandated to provide coherent strategic leadership on the delivery of health- related SEND duties, forge robust partnerships with education and 173 care sectors, and ensure that the needs of children and young people with SEND are embedded in the heart of health policy, planning, and workforce development from senior officials to frontline services. (Recommendation, Paragraph 289)
Government Response Summary
The Department is working to improve access to community health services for children with SEND and ensure allied health professionals are more effectively deployed, but does not directly address the need for a national SEND lead.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Department is working closely with DHSC and NHS England to improve access to community health services, such as speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND. As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, building on the successes of programmes such as Early Speech and Language for Every Child, we will ensure that education and healthcare providers work together with other local services to plan and deliver evidence-based early interventions for children. We will focus on ensuring allied health professionals, such as speech and language or occupational therapists, who are vital for supporting children and young people with SEND, are more effectively deployed spending time supporting children not on bureaucracy and admin