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How did your birth plan go? A personal question but one that is worth considering. Whilst ASD and ADHD can be genetically linked there are incidences where the conditions are in fact triggered by physical injury caused by sub-standard medical care. ...
Family cases involving children and young people with SEND often feature added complexity, beyond the remit of family courts. Mencap and Public Health England identified 353,000 children as having a learning disability (2016) and with divorce rates sharply...
This year we want to show the world the incredible things that people with a learning disability achieve, smashing misconceptions about what people can do and shining a light on the stigma many still face every day. Mencap’s Learning...
EHCPs are legally required to be reviewed annually (as a minimum). Transition Reviews are a form of Annual Review that are required to take place ahead of a child or young person’s transition to their next stage of education i.e. Nursery (early...
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are legally entitled to attend school along with their peers. Compulsory school starting age for all pupils is 5 years old [1] and they must remain in school full-time until the end of the...
James Pantling-Skeet is an experienced Associate in Boyes Turner’s highly regarded Community Care, Court of Protection and Special Educational Needs teams. In this 60-second read, James talks to experienced medical negligence solicitor...
This is the final article in our series on matters parents/carers may need to address in the following year. You can find the other articles here . Parents/young people can request mediation if they are unhappy with the social and/or health care elements...
This is the fourth in our series of articles this week, following on from what should be included in an EHCP, and how to find a placement. You can find the other articles here Parents/young people must have a mediation certificate before they can register...
This is the third in our series of back to school articles for parents and carers, following on from our discussion of the content of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and annual/phase transfer reviews. You can find the other articles here . Pupils...
This is the second article in our ‘Back to School’ series; yesterday we examined the content of Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs). You can find the article here . Annual Reviews Local authorities (LAs) must review EHCPs at least once...
As pupils prepare to return to school and college, we’ve put together a series of five articles on matters that parents/carers may need to address in the next year. In our first article, we examine the content of Education, Health and Care Plans...
An update to an article that we first produced in 2018 and following the recent case of R (on the application of L and others) v Devon County Council [2022] EWHC 493 (Admin) which has put to bed the Loop! A reminder of parent and young persons’...
Children with special educational needs (SEN) are 5 times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion than pupils with no known SEN. While the rate of permanent and fixed-period exclusions has come down, there is clearly more to be done to ensure that...
The National Autistic Society describes autism as a ‘lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them’. Autism is a spectrum condition...
The Government has completed its review of education in England and has published a green paper proposing changes to the SEND and alternative provision (AP) system in England. It is hoped the changes will better support children and young people (CYP) to...
I spoke with SNAP Care on 16 March 2022 about EHCNAs and what parents and young people who have special educational needs should know. Below are some of the questions and answers: 1. What is an EHCNA? It is a holistic assessment of a child or young...
The long awaited High Court judgment in R (L) v Devon CC [2022] EWHC 493 (Admin) finally provides clarity on the process of amending Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) after annual reviews. In short, if the local authority proposes to amend the EHCP...
What are the ALN reforms? Pupils in Wales with special educational needs (SEN) are supported through early intervention/intervention plus; school action/action plus; and Statements of SEN. These are now being phased out in favour of a single statutory...
I spoke with SNAP Care on 9 February 2022 about EHCPs, and what you need to know about when a Plan can be ceased, and when one is ceased, by the local authority (LA). Here are some of the questions and answers: If a young person (YP) reaches 19 years old...
I have provided training for Inside Government on ‘Meeting the Legal Requirements of an EHCP’, on several occasions, most recently in January 2022. A number of delegates were from schools and keen to know more about EHCPs. Below are some of the...
I spoke with Snap Care on 12 January 2022, to discuss Transition Reviews of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Below are some of the questions and answers: 1. What are Transition Reviews? EHCPs are legally required to be reviewed...
The SEND Tribunal ran a National Trial from 3 April 2018 until 31 August 2021 that enabled parents and young people (YP) with SEND who appealed to the SEND Tribunal about: Their local authority (LA) not issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP); ...
The local authority must complete an EHC needs assessment if your child has or may have special educational needs, and if your child may need special educational provision to be made through an EHCP. You do not need a formal diagnosis in order to...
Many Local Authorities (LA) are currently holding review meetings to review and amend the Education, Health and Care Plan (“EHCP”) for children or young people that are due to transfer from one phase of education to another. Phase transfer...
Mental capacity and decision making When your child reaches 18 they will become a legal adult. Amongst other matters, this means that they will be deemed able to make their own decisions about all aspects of their life, unless it is established that they...
Turning 18 is a fundamental milestone for all young people. For children and young people with a disability and/or special educational needs, it can be a particularly challenging time. In practice, planning for post-18 support for a disabled child tends to...
Slough Borough Council has declared bankruptcy, joining Northamptonshire County Council and Croydon Council in issuing notice that it can now provide only essential council services. In February 2021 the Financial Times reported twelve authorities were in...
When a local authority (LA) issues an EHCP, it must arrange the provision specified in Section F (s42 Children & Families Act 2014). The question of what is ‘reasonable’ time to implement Section F was examined in the recent case of BA, R (On...
I spoke with Snap Care on 31 March 2021, to discuss Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and the relevant topic of ‘Back to School’. Below are some of the questions and answers: 1. Should all children/young people (C/YP), including those...
An area of SEN that can cause uncertainty is funding and, in particular, the different elements of SEN funding and what, in practice, these mean for support for pupils in schools. Element 1 Known as the core budget/Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) for each...
LB of Redbridge v HO (SEN): [2020] UKUT 323 (AAC) Those working with EHCPs will have heard many times over that provision in a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must ‘ so specific and so clear as to leave no room for doubt as to...
Hopefully today is the day the LA confirmed your parental choice of placement. Your local authority (LA) must issue a new Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for children moving to a new phase of education on or before 15 February. This is the stage...
Children and young people with SEND face additional barriers that can affect their mental health. Unidentified speech, language, and communication needs can significantly impact their ability to express feelings and to feel understood and connected to...
In October 2020 the NHS published the Mental Health Survey for Children and Young People. The Survey is notable because it follows up with participants who were questioned in 2017. The Survey offers a sobering insight into children and young...
It is impossible to ignore the growing mental health crisis which has been exacerbated since school lockdown due to Covid-19. However, for many families with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, this is nothing new. The lack of...
What is the difference between a Personal Budget and Direct Payment? A Personal Budget is an amount of money agreed with the local authority to deliver the education, health and/or social care provision in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)...
One question we often get asked is what school a parent can request is named in Section I (placement) of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for a child or young person (C/YP) and does that school have to agree? First, we need to consider the...
As we approach the end of 2020, and a new school term starting next month, it is a good time to reflect on the different schools the Boyes Turner Education Team have helped children and young people (C/YP) with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to...
Are you a parent of a child or young person with special educational needs (SEN) facing exclusion, or, subject to suspension? If so you fall into the significant, but increasing minority facing an increase in exclusion/suspension numbers. Statistics for...
The EHCP does not specify funding, it only specifies provision and it is not clear that the provision is dedicated solely to that pupil (local authority) We are often contacted by parents because their child or young person’s Education, Health and...
The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations2020 came into force on 1 May 2020 with implications for children and young adults with SEND. The Regulations are in place until 25 September 2020. It is unclear whether further regulations around SEND will follow. The government has made it clear that children and young adults are to return to education as a priority. Minister Ford wrote to families and young people with SEND on 2 September 2020.
Children and young people may transition between several stages of education: early years provider to school infant school to junior school primary school to middle school primary school to secondary school middle school to secondary school secondary...
Parents often reach out for help when they want to appeal the type and name of school on their child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). For many children, the local maintained special or mainstream school is simply not the right fit. The special...
With the academic year shortly starting back from September, albeit it is likely that this will look different as a result of Covid-19, this time of year also signals the start of a new year of appeal hearings for the SEND Tribunal. The SEND Tribunal...
There is much press at the moment addressing how schools, colleges and exam boards managed the challenge of an assessed grading system arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, if your child or young person (those aged 16+) fell into the small,...
The absolute duty to deliver special educational and health care provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) was modified from 1 May to 31 July 2020 , triggered by notices from the Secretary of State for Education. During this period,...
The Secretary of State for Education triggered changes to the absolute duty for Local Authorities (LA) to make provision set out in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) to LAs using ‘reasonable endeavours’ by passing The Coronavirus Act 2020...
We previously wrote about the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) National Trial on 6 February 2020 – you can view this article here . Here is a brief reminder of what the National Trial does: Since 3 April 2018, SENDIST...
We last wrote about the changes to the duty to make provision set out in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) on 4 May 2020. The changes were to be in place until 31 May 2020. This has now been extended to 30 June 2020 by a 2 nd Notice - The...
This article was written during the coronavirus outbreak in May 2020. Please note that the updated Government guidance at the time did not alter local authorities’ duties in terms of Section E outcomes. In the Education Team at Boyes Turner, we see a...
