Children and Families Bill - supporter briefing

Read our latest supporter briefing to find out the changes EDCM would like to see in the Children and Families Bill, what the Government’s response has been so far, and how to get involved.

Read the supporter briefing

Read our open letter to the Prime Minister

EDCM joined with over 100 other charities and parent groups to write to David Cameron and call for improvements to the Children and Families Bill.

Read our open letter here.

Children and Families Act

On 4^th February 2013, the Government introduced the Children and Families Bill to Parliament including clauses which reform the system of support for children with special educational needs.

A statement from the Department for Education (DfE) described the Children and Families Bill as 'the biggest reform in 30 years' (DfE press release, 9.5.13).

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 the same legal protections currently associated with a statement of SEN, but extending these protections up to 25 in further education - instead of being cut off at 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

Below you can find EDCM's briefings for different stages of the Children and Families Bill's passage through Parliament:

Submission to Education Select Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny - 24th October 2012
House of Commons Second Reading - 25th February 2013
House of Commons Committee Stage - 5th March 2013
House of Lords Second Reading - 2nd July 2013

Broken promises: does the Children and Families Bill deliver for families with disabled children? (supporter briefing)The Children and Families Bill is currently being discussed in the House of Lords, and EDCM and SEC are keen to secure changes. As the Bill stands, we do not believe that it will deliver on the promise made by the Government to make the system less stressful for parents. Read more...
Open letter to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister (16 October 2013)In this open letter to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, EDCM joined over 100 charities and local parent groups to urge the Government to ensure the Children and Families Bill will make life better for families with disabled children. Read more...
Children and Families Bill supporter briefingIn this briefing you can find an overview of where we are at in Parliamentary process, an outline of the changes we would like to see in the Children and Families Bill and what the Government’s response has been so far, as well as what we expect to happen next. Read more...
Second Reading Briefing - House of LordsA briefing from the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign and the Special Educational Consortium on The Children and Families Bill, ahead of the House of Lords Second Reading (Tuesday 2 July 2013). Read more...
Second Reading Briefing - House of CommonsA briefing from the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign and the Special Educational Consortium on the The Children and Families Bill, ahead of the House of Commons Second Reading (Monday 25 February 2013). Read more...
Legal Opinion on the Children and Families BillThe Every Disabled Child Matters campaign requested Irwin Mitchell solicitors and Doughty Street Chambers to provide a legal opinion on matters regarding the Children and Families Bill. Read more...

Every Disabled Child Matters

Children and Families Bill - supporter briefing

Read our open letter to the Prime Minister

Children and Families Act

On 4th February 2013, the Government introduced the Children and Families Bill to Parliament including clauses which reform the system of support for children with special educational needs.

On 4^th February 2013, the Government introduced the Children and Families Bill to Parliament including clauses which reform the system of support for children with special educational needs.