Schools White Paper and SEND Reform – it’s time to act

After much anticipation, the Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, has been published, and with it the Government’s proposals for SEND Reform. For some, the uncertainty around the SEND reforms has delayed longer-term system reform. That is no longer the case.

IMPOWER has been testing possible reforms to the SEND system as part of the REACH consortium delivering the DfE Change Programme. Our partnership with the Council for Disabled Children  strengthens our commitment to inclusive, system-wide change.

Here are six takeaways from the White Paper for local authorities and why now is the time to act.

1. Inclusion is the ambition

The Schools White Paper sets a clear ambition for a more inclusive education system, stating clearly, “Children with special educational needs and disabilities must be able to attend their local mainstream school and have their needs met by highly trained teachers, leaders and support staff.”

There is recognition that this task cannot fall to schools alone. Supporting mainstream inclusion is about making sure that schools have available to them the expertise, resources and partnerships that they need to make this happen. There is funding identified to support inclusion, for schools, for ‘Experts at Hand’ services and for inclusion bases, as well as plans to move towards a new framework for support, including legally-supported individual support plans (ISP), four tiers of support (universal, targeted, targeted-plus and specialist).

These changes will mean new relationships across SEND and AP systems. Bringing partners together to agree a new partnership inclusive ambition will be an important first step towards successful reform.

2. There is funding for SEND reform, but budgets remain a critical immediate challenge

The recent announcement of High Needs Stability funding in preparation for reforms has been welcomed, but it still leaves councils needing to fund 10% of historic high needs deficits. This deficit relief is dependent on areas developing a convincing local reform plan which plots a course to financial sustainability.

At the same time, councils will have to manage continued growth in EHCP numbers and associated costs of assessments, support and transport. Changes to EHCPs and  SEND funding will not come into effect until 2029.

Having worked alongside local authorities to understand and address the drivers of high needs pressure and acted as delivery partners for the testing of DfE SEND reforms, IMPOWER knows what it takes to develop and deliver a more affordable and inclusive SEND system.

3. The timescale is long, but there is also a need for urgent action

The White Paper sets a plan for change that goes well into the next decade, with no changes to the current legal framework until 2030 and transitions to the new system after that. Nevertheless, councils, ICBs, schools and other partners will need to act now to start the reform process. A key innovation is the development of the Experts at Hand, where local authorities and ICBs will be responsible for establishing an offer from expert professionals to make early support for inclusion available to schools. By 2028/29, the expectation is that additional support to each typical primary school will be 40 days per year, and 160 days per year for a typical secondary school. Identifying and recruiting this expertise will be a challenge that all areas are embarking on simultaneously. The Government has said that scaling up will take time, so each local area should start establishing clear partnership governance to support delivery and allocation of expertise and resources.

4. Local authorities are central to the reform agenda

We’re pleased that the White Paper recognises that councils have a key role to play in implementing reforms. All local authorities and ICBs need to develop a local SEND Reform Plan (the details of which have not yet been published) in the coming months. The Government has announced that the local SEND Reform Plan will be linked to funding to ease high needs deficit pressures. Local authorities will play a key role as convener of the local SEND system as well as driving joint commissioning and coordinating workforce planning to support inclusion. At the same time, councils will continue to need to maintain EHCPs and undertake assessments within the current system for the rest of this decade. The Government has forecast a continued growth in EHCP numbers throughout the 2020s, so councils will face the challenge of enabling long-term transformation, while improving delivery of current core SEND services.

5. Thinking beyond the school gates

The White Paper stresses the importance of thinking beyond the school gates, emphasising early intervention and family support. The Government has announced an extension of funding for Best Start Family Hubs with plans for dedicated SEND practitioners in these, as well as improving access to childcare for children with SEND. This emphasis on early intervention and whole family support will need local partnerships to enable strategic collaboration between local authority care and SEND services alongside education and health to ensure the best start for all children with SEND.

6. Successful reform will depend on trust and confidence

The need for change to the SEND system is widely accepted. However, just as important is a need to develop trust and confidence within the SEND system. Not everyone will be convinced that the published reforms will achieve what is needed. IMPOWER knows from its work with councils across the country, that developing a shared inclusive ambition, supporting collaboration and co-production, and delivering real change to improve outcomes and experiences, are all key steps on the journey to growing trust and confidence within a local system.

To find out more about how IMPOWER can help implement SEND reforms and support inclusion in your area, please get in touch.