Wednesday 9 March 2011

SEN Reform

Parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) regular need to come to see me at my local Advice Surgeries. Too often parents, already under great strain have to battle the establishment to get the support their child deserves.

Even though we are often able to help, the frustration parents face with endless delays, multiple layers of paperwork and bureaucracy, and a lack of coordination between services is a real living nightmare.

I am proud to be able to say this Government is tackling this problem with a Green Paper which sets out the biggest programme of reform in the education and health support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in 30 years.

Proposals include:

a legal right to give parents control of budgets for their child's care
a single assessment process with a combined education, health and care plan to replace the confusing statementing system
and a simplified new school based category to help teachers focus on raising attainment.

Finally parents and children may get the help and respect from the system they deserve.