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Support and aspiration: Progress and Next Steps. Jonathan Duff. Next Steps published today !. Original Green Paper, published in 2011, made a strong case for reform and set out a vision for a new, more simple system
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Support and aspiration: Progress and Next Steps Jonathan Duff
Next Steps published today! • Original Green Paper, published in 2011, made a strong case for reform and set out a vision for a new, more simple system • The consultation had a huge response – around 2400 formal responses – and indicated broad support for the reforms. • The changes are already being piloted in 20 local pathfinders. • This report responds to the consultation, sets out the progress we have made and our next steps in taking forward our plans, through legislation and in other ways.
Next Steps: Headlines • Replacing SEN statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments with a single, 0-25 assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plan from 2014 • Seeking statutory protections comparable to those currently associated with a statement of SEN to up to 25 in further education • Parents/young people with an EHC plan given the right to a personal budget for support. • local authorities and health services required to link up services for disabled children and young people – so they are jointly planned and commissioned.
Next Steps: Headlines • A new legal right for children to seek a place at state academies and free schools. Local authorities would have to name the parent’s preferred school so long it was suitable for the child. • Requiring Local Authorities to publish a ‘local offer’ showing the support available to young people and their familiesin their area, who have special educational needs. • Introducing mediation for disputes and trialling giving children the right to appeal if they are unhappy with their support.
Next Steps: Preparing for Adulthood • EHC Plan to provide comparable statutory protections to an SEN statement for 16-25s in further education • Young people to be able to express a preference for where they would like to be taught. • Mediation for young people and their families up to age 25 • …. and redress – ideally through the Tribunal system – where this is unsuccessful.
Next Steps: Preparing for Adulthood • more flexible approach to study programmes so that young people can follow a programme designed to meet their individual needs. • expanding FE ‘clusters’ to encourage greater partnership working between independent specialist colleges, general FE and special schools • A £3m trial of Supported Internships launched in 15 further education colleges this autumn for 16 to 25 year olds with the most complex learning difficulties or disabilities.
The future: Children and Families Bill • A draft Bill published this summer, informed by early findings of the Pathfinders. • A period of ‘pre-legislative scrutiny’ across summer and into the autumn. A further opportunities for consultation and for Pathfinders to inform the development of legislation. • Our intention is to introduce the Bill to Parliament early in 2013. • Pathfinders feeding in every step of the way, and the evaluation informing how the reforms are implemented (subject to legislation securing Parliamentary approval in 2014).