Children and Families Bill

The Queen's Speech on 9th May 2012 announced a Children and Families Bill, which will include measures to improve provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

A statement from the Department for Education (DfE) described the Children and Families Bill as 'the biggest reform in 30 years'.

They stated that the main elements of the Bill for children with special educational needs and disabilities are:

*Replacing Special Educational Needs (SEN) statements and Learning Disability Assessments (for 16-25 year olds) with a single, simpler 0-25 assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plan from 2014

*Providing statutory protections comparable to those currently associated with a statement of SEN to up to 25 in further education - instead of being cut off a 16

*Requiring that local authorities and health services jointly plan and commission services that children, young people and their families need

*Giving parents or young people the right to a personal budget for their support

On 3rd September 2012 the Government published Draft legislation on Reform of provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs.

The Education Select Committee will be scrutinising the bill before it enters Parliament in early 2013 and asked for written evidence to be submitted to them by 11th October 2012. Read the submission from EDCM and the Special Educational Consortium (SEC).

Find out more!

Read a briefing from EDCM and SEC on the draft provisions on SEN and disability in the Children and Families Bill.

The Children and Families Bill takes forward proposals set out by the Government in 'Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability'. Find out more about the SEND Green Paper here.

EDCM Supporter Survey

EDCM surveyed our supporters to find out their views on the Children and Family Bill proposals and presented these views to Sarah Teather, the former Minister for Children and Families. Read our campaign report 'Special Educational Needs and Disability Reform: Making it work for all disabled children' here.

Adult Social Care Reform

The Government is currently reforming adult social care for older and disabled people. Disabled young people move from children's social care services to adult social care services at the age of 18. Read EDCM's briefing on reforms to adult social care and how issues overlap with the Children and Families Bill.