Special Educational Needs Green Paper: parents to get more control and support in 'simpler' system

The Government says the changes are needed to simplify the system and help parents, who often feel they have to fight to get the support they need.

Currently, more than one in five children have been identified as having a special education need but only 2.7 per cent have statements, where children have severe and complex needs requiring extra support.

Children’s minister Sarah Teather said, ‘We have heard time and time again that parents are frustrated with endless delays to getting the help their child needs, and being caught in the middle where local services don’t work together.

‘Parents and voluntary organisations have given us overwhelming examples where they have felt let down by local services. At the moment there is an appalling situation where public money is being wasted as children are growing out of equipment, like wheelchairs, before they even arrive. The new single assessment process and plan will tackle this issue and mean that parents don’t feel they have to push to get the services they are entitled to.’

A pilot project of personalised support, called ‘Achievement for All’, will also be extended to help children who have ‘a learning need’, but not necessarily special educational needs.