SEND News
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) has recently updated its guide, Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010: What teachers need to know and what schools need to do. The updated guide has been funded by the DfE.
Schools have a range of duties under the Equality Act 2010: to staff, as employees; to parents and others, where the school is providing a service to other people using the school; and to pupils, staff and others who share other protected characteristics as well as disability.
This guide is designed to help teachers understand the legislation and how it applies to their work with disabled pupils in their school. It explains what the Equality Act requires of schools and of governors, trustees and others who are the ‘responsible body’ for the school.
The guide draws on examples of practices that may amount to discrimination or that may help schools to avoid discrimination. Many of these examples are drawn from the decisions of the Tribunal, so provide insights into the issues that schools have found difficult to handle. A series of blogs picks up some of these issues in a more reflective way.
CDC will also be publishing a companion guide for Early Years settings shortly.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
In this newsflash, DfE would like to draw your attention to two items:
Autism Education Trust’s new ‘Let’s Learn about Autism’ packs:
To celebrate Autism Acceptance Week this year (28 March to 3 April), the Autism Education Trust (AET) have been working with their Autistic Young Expert’s Panel to produce their Let’s Learn About Autism Packs. The fully resourced packs are designed to help all education professionals to plan their Autism Acceptance Week lessons and lead conversations about autism and understanding difference. Please see the AET website for further information and how to download: https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/celebrate-autism-acceptance-week-our-lets-learn-about-autism-pack
NHS Keyworker update:
Keyworking services move from the pilot phase towards full geographical cover: the NHS Long term Plan includes a commitment that ‘by 2023/24 children and young people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic with the most complex needs will have a designated keyworker’. Keyworking services have been introduced in pilot and early adopter areas to work with young people, families and services to avoid unnecessary admissions to mental health hospitals and to facilitate timely discharge with the right support in place. This next stage sees the remaining areas of the country developing plans for their Keyworking service. Visit the NHS England and NHS Improvement website for more information on how Keyworking is making a difference to young people’s lives in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale at https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/care/children-young-people/keyworkers/success-and-learning-from-heywood-middleton-and-rochdale-keyworking-service/ and South Yorkshire at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/care/children-young-people/keyworkers/success-and-learning-from-pilot-sites-the-south-yorkshire-keyworking-service/.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Schools White Paper 'Opportunity for All' has been published today: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-white-paper-delivers-real-action-to-level-up-education
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Ambitious about Autism has today launched the UK’s first online platform for autistic young people – please find further details at https://ambitious-youth-network.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/page/ambitious-youth-network
This will offer autistic young people aged 16 to 25 a safe and moderated online space to help them understand their autistic identity and reduce isolation and loneliness that many feel. Young people will be able to take part in peer support sessions, share experiences and find volunteering, work experience and employment opportunities. There will also be opportunities for them to work together and campaign for change.
- Written by: Brian Lamb
Sign Health, working in coalition with a number of other charities, is launching this report today on the Health Accessible Information Standard.
They would like to draw attention to the urgent priorities that are included which they believe would significantly improve people’s access to and experience of health and social care.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Earlier this week the government announced support to transform education and opportunities for the most disadvantaged children and young people, including those with SEND.
Package to transform education and opportunities for the most disadvantaged
' On 1 February, the government announced a package to level up education and opportunities. In particular, we wanted to outline what this offer means for children and young people with SEND.
New funding for respite and Supported Internships will come alongside more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These programmes will:
· target support to improve monitoring, support and intervention for local authorities and local health and care partners’ delivery of statutory SEND services, with a focus on underperforming areas and sharing best practice
· improve participation and access for parents and young people for high quality advice and support; and
· directly support schools and colleges to effectively work with pupils with SEND, for example through training on specific needs like autism.
You can read the full press notice here:
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Will Quince MP, Minister for Children and Families, has written an open letter to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families and those who support them.
In the letter, the Minister reaffirms his commitment to delivering the SEND Review and the importance of supporting the most disadvantaged children and young people. He outlines his plans to continue to visit schools, nurseries and colleges around the country to directly hear first-hand from children, young people, parents and carers, school, college and local authority staff as well as meet with SEND organisations and experts so they can influence proposals.
To read the letter in full, visit: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/10/an-open-letter-to-parents-and-carers-of-children-and-young-people-with-special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-from-children-and-families-minister-will-quince/
Alongside the letter, the Department for Education has published information about the members of the SEND Review Steering Group. The new group was set up to assist the department conclude the SEND Review at pace and advise on proposals to be set out in a SEND Green Paper to be published in the first three months of 2022.
For further information on the group, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/send-review-steering-group
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