Latest news with #EHCP
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What are education and health care plans and why are parents worried about them being scrapped?
For children in England with special educational needs and disabilities, an education and health care plan (EHCP) is a central pillar of support. The government is due to set out its educational strategy for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the autumn, though, and has not ruled out scrapping ECHPs. Their removal would signal radical change in how the system works in England. ECHPs are individualised plans that set out the needs of a particular child and the support they should receive – from education, health services and social care – in order have the best opportunity to thrive. But demand for ECHPs is soaring and providing support is proving financially catastrophic for local authorities. One of the criticisms of EHCPs is that they prioritise providing children with individual models of support, rather than developing inclusive cultures within schools and within the broader education system. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has outlined a vision of building a system where more children with special educational needs and disabilities can attend mainstream schools. But removing ECHPs leads to the possibility of children who need more specialist support missing out. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. To secure an ECHP, local authorities carry out a statutory assessment to determine whether a child's needs warrant additional support. An assessment does not always lead to an EHCP, but if one is issued, it must outline how the child's needs will be met and the additional resources needed to do so. These resources might include funding to provide a child with a teaching assistant, funding for equipment and transport to school, or funding to go to a specialist school. This system of support helps school leaders ensure that children and young people have the right support, at the right time. According to a report published earlier this year, the demand for EHCPs has risen by 140% since 2015. Recent data shows that there are 482,640 children and young people in England with an EHCP. Many more children have special educational needs, but do not have an ECHP. These pupils are classed as receiving special educational needs support. The percentage of pupils with an EHCP has increased to 5.3%, from 4.8% in 2024. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs support has increased to 14.2%, from 13.6% in 2024. Despite government investment of £10.7 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a House of Commons committee report outlines that long waiting times for assessments, as well as to access support such as speech and language therapy, has led to parents losing confidence in the system. Funding is allocated to each local authority from central government to fund provision in their areas. It is for local authorities, in consultation with their schools, to determine the individual allocation to schools. However, local authorities are struggling to meet the increased demand for EHCPs. Even when funding is allocated through EHCPs, it is not always sufficient to address the needs of those with complex needs. And funding is not sufficient to meet demand. Local authorities have accumulated huge deficits due to spending exceeding funding, placing some at risk of going bankrupt. Future plans Bridget Phillipson has refused to be drawn on whether EHCPs will be axed. 'What I can say very clearly,' she has said, 'is that we will strengthen and put in place better support for children.' Building more inclusive schools is obviously one way of achieving this vision. If scrapping EHCPs means less funding for children for special educational needs and disabilities, though, this cannot be the answer. Children need more support, not less, to enable them to thrive. The solution is for the government to work out what models of inclusion work well in mainstream schools and to decide how these can be resourced and evaluated. Clarity is also needed on inclusion in mainstream schools can be measured in order to assess whether it is working. Making more support in mainstream schools work also requires an adequate supply of knowledgeable, well-trained teachers. The government is prioritising this through revision to initial teacher education courses, with an emphasis on all teachers being teachers of special educational needs. If the government doesn't get this right, the result may be poorer educational and long-term outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. It may also lead to issues with teacher recruitment and retention in mainstream schools, particularly if teachers feel that they do not have the level of support in place that they need to meet the needs of their pupils. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Jonathan Glazzard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Blaming the parents is easier than fixing Britain's special educational needs system
Many parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are likely to be too busy fighting the broken education system to notice they are actually being blamed for it. Their lives are spent constantly having to fight to get what most children and families take for granted – the education their child needs and deserves. For all the talk of parents trying to get special treatment, or a 'golden ticket' for their children, research from the National Autistic Society shows a quarter of parents (26 per cent) waited over three years to receive support for their child. Even after this, nearly three quarters (74 per cent) said their child's school place did not meet their needs. Our SEND system is supposed to provide children with the support they need. But over the last decade and a half, the funding and staff time for mainstream schools to make small changes or bring in support, without needing additional funding through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), has been systematically stripped from the system. When children's needs aren't met, they don't go away, they escalate. The result is that children are pushed ever closer to the brink and then require more intensive support. Getting help in school shouldn't require a child to have a clinical diagnosis. Yet, say that to any parent of a child with SEND and they would rightly laugh in your face, as they often face unlawful refusals from councils to even look at their child's needs until they have a diagnosis. Then the statistics get even more galling. Currently 224,382 people are waiting for an autism assessment in England – that's around the population of Portsmouth. The average waiting time for an assessment is 14 months, with many people waiting even longer. Recently, a woman in Oxford was told she would have to wait 16-18 years. Once a child has a diagnosis, it's far from a 'golden ticket', as so often claimed. Parents of autistic children have to fight, some having to remortgage their house or take out loans, to afford the expensive legal battles that overwhelmingly find in their favour. £60 million of public money was wasted sending families to the independent SEND Tribunal in 2021-22 to enforce their child's legal rights, while 99 per cent of cases in 2023-24 found in favour of parents. If you're looking for real waste in the SEND system, this is a staggering example. To fix the SEND system, support must meet children's needs early on. Imagine how much more our education system, and the children in it, could achieve if we didn't ignore and belittle children that need support. How much more prepared for adult life and all its trials and tribulations a child could be, armed with the knowledge of their autistic identity, rather than being sneered at for 'chasing' a 'label'. How many more families could live in financial security without having to give up work if the system had the resources to approach their requests with options, rather than a closed door. How many more disabled children could walk happily with their brothers and sisters to school, rather than having to rely on school transport for journeys miles and miles away from home. It's right that the Government tries to fix this broken system. It's clear though that any reform should focus on strengthening children's rights to early and less intensive support and making sure teachers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to support kids in their classrooms. Put quite simply: EHCPs aren't the problem in the system. Nor is school transport. The problem is that the system legally responsible for supporting our nation's disabled children is not resourced or equipped to do that. That's why the National Autistic Society will campaign as part of the Disabled Children's Partnership – a coalition of 130 organisations from national charities to grass root parent groups – to get the right reforms from the Government. Families don't want anything 'special', they just want the same thing as other families – the education their children need. Now is the time to get this right, not blame parents and take away children's futures.
Gulf Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Before a rethink of special educational needs, lessons must be learnt
Whatever else may be said about the government's plans for the education of children with special needs, they cannot be handled in the same, calamitous way as were the reforms to personal independence payments (PIP). As has been said with enormous force during the low-key commemoration of Labour's first year in office, lessons must be learnt. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, is the lead minister in preparing the schools white paper in October, which will include proposals for changes to the special needs framework. She has already caused some concern by refusing to rule out changing the system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), and the rights groups and backbench MPs in her party have mobilised in response, according to The Independent. In fairness, Ms Phillipson and her colleagues have talked about changes to EHCPs in the past. However, the recent welfare reform bill fiasco has both sharpened anxieties and bolstered the confidence of Labour backbenchers that they can defy the party leadership and block reform. The Labour general election manifesto was also oblique on this point. An element of fear, if not paranoia, has entered the debate, and Ms Phillipson's task has been much more difficult because of the mistakes made by her colleagues – Rachel Reeves as chancellor, Liz Kendall as work and pensions secretary, and the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Ms Phillipson is one of the brighter stars in the Labour firmament, but she will be fortunate if she emerges from this process with an improved EHCP regime or her reputation enhanced. Trust has been eroded. For any government of any party, reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision for children and young people presents particular challenges, and rightly so. These are among the most vulnerable of people, and they cannot be subject to discriminatory treatment, both as a matter of law and of morality. As a society, there is a duty to provide for children and young people with physical and learning disabilities, and to offer them the best start in life, maximising their independence and life chances. Their parents need and deserve support, and any failure to do so is unconscionable. In contrast to the PIP reforms, there must be no feeling that reform is solely or even primarily driven by the Treasury and the need for savings, though there is no escaping the financial realities. As Ms Reeves and Ms Kendall discovered to their cost, there are red lines that this generation of Labour MPs will not cross solely for the sake of meeting fiscal rules. Ms Phillipson, therefore, must win the arguments – and, as far as possible, carry all those concerned with her as she reshapes the regime and improves it. Therefore, the various groups representing SEND children and parents need to be closely involved in each stage of policy development. This is something she is now well placed to do, given recent events. In any case, because of what happened with PIP entitlements, she has no alternative. The parliamentary Labour Party, emboldened as it now is, will insist on being consulted. When the time comes to publish the white paper, there should be no nasty surprises. If there are, it will be just as doomed as the welfare reform bill. Secondly, this process cannot be rushed, or perceived to be rushed. The deadline of October for the schools white paper is a reasonable one but it should not take precedence over good policy. If the sections on SEND are not ready to be published, then they should be postponed. Indeed, there is a strong case for giving SEND policy a comprehensive study and white paper of its own, given the sensitivities and complexities involved. Again, the lesson of recent events is that a late policy is preferable to a bad policy. There is also a real need for a better understanding – entirely separate from the cost – of the merits of special schools or children's inclusion in the general school system, which will, of course, vary by individual cases. It is also wrong, as seems to be the case now, that variations in provision across different local authorities can be so stark – a postcode lottery.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Speculation over SEND provision 'will bring fear and anxiety'
Families whose children have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) fear the government may be considering plans to scrap them, a charity has has been a sharp rise in recent years in the number of pupils with EHCPs, putting local authorities under financial with an EHCP are legally entitled to receive additional support if they have learning disabilities or face social, emotional or mental health challenges.A Department for Education spokesperson said it would be "totally inaccurate to suggest that children, families and schools might experience any loss of funding or support". 'Respite' Jane Johnson's 17-year-old son has had an ECHP since he was at primary said it enabled his move into special education. Ms Johnson, from Oldham, said: "It was when he was in year one that we first noticed a major difference."He couldn't cope with the large class sizes and it led to unwanted behaviours which would have led to exclusion."In a recent letter published in The Guardian newspaper, several charities and academics warned that, without EHCPs in mainstream schools, "many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision or losing access to education altogether".Ms Johnson said her son's EHCP afforded him the security of knowing he could stay in school."You've got a little bit of respite with an ECHP," she explained. "You're not as worried that they might get excluded tomorrow and without that, you're right back to square one with that worry every day." 'Steep rise' More than 482,000 children and young people in England have an the north-west of England alone, there are now more than 73,000 EHCPs - more than double the 32,000 recorded in Greater Manchester borough of Tameside has seen a fourfold increase while Halton in Cheshire has recorded a threefold rise has been driven by several factors in recent years, according to the Institute for Fiscal independent think tank pointed to a steep rise in the number of children and young people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder also said more young people have speech and language problems while the number of students with social, emotional and mental health needs has also increased. Point is an Oldham-based charity which supports more than 4,000 families who have children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Manager Andrea Greenhead said many families had been left unsettled by speculation in the media about the future of said: "Headlines saying that EHCPs are going to be taken away from children in the mainstream setting will bring fear and anxiety and a cause for concern. "What families really need is the detail that sits behind it and a family and parent voice incorporated into the plans because the lived experience that families have are really crucial." 'Complex area' Many local authorities are struggling to afford the additional transport costs that are often associated with Council's bill has increased from about £2m to nearly £8m, while local authorities covering Stockport, Halton, Manchester and Trafford have also seen sharp of the money is spent on providing EHCP recipients with taxis to and from taxi bill has gone up more than fourfold in a decade, while Warrington has seen a 270% rise during that same period, from £1.25m to £ government said it inherited a system "left on its knees".When asked if she could scrap EHCPs, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described it as a "complex and sensitive area".Full details of the proposed changes to SEND provision are due to be announced in October.A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We have been clear that there are no plans to abolish SEND tribunals, or to remove funding or support from children, families and schools." Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Bridget Phillipson wants all teachers in mainstream schools to be SEND trained
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is 'too adversarial' and 'too bureaucratic' Bridget Phillipson has said she wants all teachers in mainstream education to have special educational needs and disabilities training. The Education Secretary said 'brilliant' work was already happening in this area that shows what can be delivered on a 'bigger scale'. She wants training to be improved in mainstream schools so teachers can support students at the 'earliest possible point'. Asked by The Mirror whether she wants all teachers to have been trained in SEND provision, Ms Phillipson said: 'Absolutely. From this September, training around SEND will be a big part of initial teacher training. 'But alongside that, we know that there is the need to provide more training and support for our teachers and support staff already working in our schools.' She pointed to the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools (PINS) programme, which brings specialist health and education professionals into mainstream primary schools to help shape whole-school SEND provision. READ MORE: Tech libraries with reading pens and speech tools to assist children with SEND The programme seeks to upskill school staff so they can provide early interventions to kids who might be showing signs of needing extra support. Ms Phillipson said such programmes were doing 'really brilliant work that I think demonstrates the kind of change we can deliver on a bigger scale'. Around 1,650 schools were part of a local PINS project during the 2024 to 2025 financial year, with the programme to be expanded over the next year. The Government plans to publish a white paper in the autumn detailing reforms to the SEND system. But it is shaping up to be a fresh battle between the Prime Minister and backbenchers, with fears raised that Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) might be scrapped. An EHCP is a legally binding document for children and young people aged up to 25 which sets out the support a child is entitled to. While Ms Phillipson stopped short of backing EHCPS, she told The Mirror she will make sure parents 'continue to retain legal rights, to make sure that all children get access to the support that they need'. She said: 'The reform that I am determined to deliver will be a better system for children. We know that too many parents wait far too long to get the support that their children need. It's too adversarial, it's too bureaucratic. "This is about how we better support children at the earliest possible point. We're investing more in the system to make that happen through more training for staff, particularly around neurodiversity. "We're putting more support into schools to create the places that are needed and to make the changes within mainstream schools to deliver a brilliant education for all of our children.' She added: 'But what matters most to me at the moment is listening to parents, to campaigners, to disability rights groups and teachers to make sure that any change that we bring forward is rooted in the challenges that they see at the moment, but also how we can deliver a much better system for children.'
