Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Special Educational Needs — [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair]

21 April 2021 · 10 other contributors · 11,238 words

Opened by Tan Dhesi Lab Slough

Responding minister: Vicky Ford

Mental HealthChildren & FamiliesNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tan Dhesi raised concerns about special educational needs — [sir edward leigh in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Children with SEND faced significant difficulties accessing services during the pandemic, including delays in diagnosis and reduced schooling support.
  • In Slough, only 61.5% of those coded as having a learning disability receive health checks, below the national target of 67%.
  • Clive Lewis highlighted that two-thirds of parents report their child is not receiving mandated support as outlined in their EHCP.

Key requests to Government

The Government must urgently address the backlog and delays in setting up support for children with SEND. There needs to be a dedicated plan to support these families as we emerge from lockdown, along with specific funding to address huge delays and backlogs.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tan Dhesi Lab Slough

Children with SEND have faced significant difficulties in accessing services during the pandemic. Delays in diagnosis and treatment, reduced access to schooling, and decreased support from charities and local authorities have left families feeling forgotten and overlooked. In Slough, only 0.34% of the population are coded as having a learning disability, significantly below the national average. The national target for health checks related to learning disabilities is 67%, but Slough currently reaches only 61.5% of those who are coded. Two-thirds of parents report that their child is not receiving support set out by law in their education, health and care plan (EHCP). Clive Lewis is concerned about the barriers faced by parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities in Norwich South. He highlights that it takes roughly two years for a child to get a diagnosis of ADHD or autism, resulting in significant delays in support provision. Only 20% of education, health, and care plans are completed within the Government's 20-week timescale, leaving many children struggling in mainstream schools or being excluded. He also mentions that paying privately for a faster diagnosis costs around £1,500.

Other contributors (10)
  • Clive Lewis Lab Norwich South

    Calls for an ambitious and funded covid-19 recovery plan to help children catch up on lost education. Emphasises the need for investment in social infrastructure including safe and affordable housing, universal healthcare, a universal basic income, and financial support for carers.

  • Edward Leigh Con Gainsborough

    Reminded hon. Members about changes to normal practice in order to support the new hybrid arrangements, including amended timings and reminders about mask-wearing and technical issues.

  • Ian Byrne Lab Liverpool West Derby

    The covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated existing issues for children and young people with SEND, highlighting the inequalities and indifference shown by the Department for Education. Support during the pandemic was insufficient, leaving schools and families to pick up the pieces. Issues raised include a lack of funding for schools and services, training for teachers, and long waits for vital services due to austerity measures.

  • Kate Osborne Lab Jarrow and Gateshead East

    Kate Osborne highlighted the issues faced by children with special educational needs (SEND), including long wait times for mental health services appointments, difficulties in obtaining education, health and care plans (EHCPs), lack of support for non-EHCP-qualified children, underfunded schools, and the absence of ring-fenced funding for SEND pupils. She cited a report by the Women and Equalities Committee that recommended £240 per pupil with SEND for catch-up support but noted that this recommendation was rejected by the Government.

  • Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central

    Matt Rodda highlighted the significant underfunding of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Reading, which is ranked 132nd out of 150 English local authorities for funding. He emphasised the additional pressures on families with children with SEND during the pandemic and the need for better resourcing of trained staff to support these children. Rodda also requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss issues around transitioning children from primary to secondary school, noting that the topic is sub judice due to an upcoming court case.

  • Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford

    The Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust has raised concerns about insufficient funding for its three special educational needs schools in Kempston, citing that the current funding model means their pupils do not receive adequate support. The Education Committee's report found SEND funding provision to be inadequate since 2013 with no increases until 2019-20. The DFE's suggestion that increased funding has gone to local authorities is incorrect as top-up funds have only increased by 8.3% in Bedford, which is not enough to cover rising costs.

  • Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham

    Wilson thanked the Minister for addressing the £18 million historic funding gap in special educational needs and disability support. She urged the Department to review SEND holistically, focusing on children's best interests. She highlighted financial strains faced by schools due to COVID-19 and emphasised the need for adequate mental health support for disabled children who were disproportionately affected during lockdowns.

  • Sally-Ann Hart Lab Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

    Welcomed the debate, highlighting the APPG report on the impact of the pandemic on young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Raised concerns about regional variations in support for pupils with SEND and the need for simplifying and compassionating the process of applying and assessing for EHCPs. Asked the Minister to look at how central Government pass on funding to local authorities, ensuring that local budget reflects changes in needs.

  • Sarah Owen Lab Luton North

    Ms Owen highlighted the difficulties faced by parents of autistic children in Luton North who have to wait up to four years for a diagnosis. She cited figures showing that 70% of parents feel support was not put in place quickly enough, and fewer than half of teachers are confident about supporting children on the autism spectrum. Ms Owen expressed frustration over the lack of communication between different agencies and called for better funding, streamlined processes, and local autism hubs to improve services.

  • Tulip Siddiq Lab Hampstead and Highgate

    Pays tribute to special schools in her constituency, highlights inadequacies of digital support for children with SEND, cites research showing that only 16% of children with EHCPs received full support during the third lockdown. Emphasises worsening conditions for children due to lack of access to therapies.

Government Response

Vicky Ford

The Government are dedicated to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). During the pandemic, schools and colleges remained open for those with education, health and care plans. By the end of the most recent lockdown, nearly all special schools were open and about half of children with EHCPs were attending. The Family Fund received £40.8 million to support over 90,000 families on low incomes raising children with disabilities. Special funding was provided for remote education through the Oak National Academy and National Star College. The recovery premium includes extra support per pupil in special schools, with three times more support than mainstream schools. Mental health support teams are being rolled out, including a £79 million boost to mental health services. High needs funding increased by over £1.5 billion in two years. Projects to support children and young people with SEND received £42 million in 2021. A refreshed autism strategy is being developed and will be published this spring. The Minister acknowledged challenges in Slough Borough Council's disabled children's services but noted improvements since 2019.

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