Central Government and Changes to SEND Provision

[MissyGirlie]

PLEASE READ

I'm not the parent of a SEN child (though I have some experience in that field), but I'm a trustee of a children's charity that offers out-of-school care for children up to 18. The majority are mainstream children, but we have a high proportion with a wide range of SEN, some of them severe.

It has come to our notice that the government is considering removing most of the funding for SEND support from local government, and passing the extra money to schools instead. This is almost guaranteed to see an end to SEND-specific activities (e.g. sports, outings) and would have a massive impact on the provision of respite care - and on charities like ours, as the bulk of our funding comes from local government. Without us, and other similar organisations, a lot of parents would be unable to work - we offer care until 6.30pm and all day in the school holidays (and we are massively oversubscribed).

Is anybody else aware of this? Does anyone have an inside track on it? I'd be happy to help with e.g. a letter-writing campaign if anyone wants to go down that route.

Edited for typo.
And to add, I will be out this evening so if by any chance this thread gets lively and I go quiet, that's why!

Have you seen the ‘National Conversation’?

Further information will apparently be set out in the Schools White Paper* *and Local Government Finance Settlement. If it goes ahead, it has the potential to cause carnage in education, IMO. With vulnerable CYP thrown under the bus again. It has not been properly costed. It will not be properly funded. Whether you believe it will lead to more money for schools depends on who you listen to. Not as much impact on social care as education directly because SCP isn’t typically funded by the DSG now, but is sometimes part of DMPs, which will see more cuts if the deficit still has to be paid. Education and social care legal requirements, including for things like respite, would still exist and still have to be met, though it might make it even harder for families to secure.

I hadn't, no, but I am aware that a White Paper will emerge at some stage.
Thanks for the info on legal requirements.