White Paper

For children under 5 who have been identified as having complex needs, there will be a fast track for a Specialist Provision Package and EHCP. However, there is no information in the White Paper supporting a fast track for other age groups. We know that children can present with needs at any age and their needs can also deteriorate for example if a child has been diagnosed with a life limiting illness. We suggest if this applies to you, you ask the government how they are going to support your child in these circumstances. It is important to voice your views at consultation phase.
Unfortunately this is a common occurrence we hear a lot at SOS!SEN. The current advice would be to put in a parental request for an EHC Needs Assessment. The information contained in the White Paper lacks details on the type and level of training that will be provided to staff and whether this will be compulsory for all staff to attend
This is a possibility. There is an emphasis on schools/academies pooling resources. This may mean the nearest Inclusion Base suitable for your child is not at their nearest mainstream school.
Disagreements about which tier of support will be provided at school level, will be dealt with by the school's complaints process. There will be a right to appeal a decision to provide a Specialist Provision Package (SPP) and the type of SPP, including placement.
You can appeal the type of package only if you believe that the package identified for the child/young person (CYP) would not provide sufficient or suitable support, and you feel that your CYP should have a different package.
The straight answer is we don't know. The National Inclusion Standards will be outlined by 2028 after the consultation process has ended. These will set out the support that should be available in every mainstream setting.
No. The funding provided as part of the Experts at Hand will cover the equivalent of 40 days a year at primary level and 160 days a year at secondary level. However, this will be expert advice to collaborate with staff to design and implement strategies and not necessarily individual therapies or support.
At the moment this has not been defined and will be dependent on many factors including the availability of places at the inclusion base, alternative provision or specialist setting.
Specialist Support will be for children with complex needs. The White Paper states that: "We have not provided a singular definition of this term and recognise that this language can be interpreted in different ways." They have further noted that there has been a sharp increase in children with EHCPs particularly for under 5s and certain needs. The number of children with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and Severe Learning Difficulties - two needs which are most likely to require an EHCP have remained unchanged.
The White Paper is proposing new training to understand needs and to deliver an inclusive education. They are also proposing early interventions. However, we are moving away from the current system set out in an EHCP, whereby all the child's needs are identified and the provision to meet each need specified.