Amaze’s response to the SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper

In February, the government went public with far-reaching proposals to change the SEND system in the form of a Schools White Paper. The consultation on the White Paper ran until 18 May. 

Keeping you informed

Since February, Amaze has been working hard to make sure parents and young people know about the proposals and have a chance to give their views about them. We wrote a summary of the SEND reform proposals, ran and recorded a webinar that explained the contents of the White Paper (view the SEND reforms webinar on Youtube), and updated you on our initial response. 

Getting your views

Amaze was committed to responding to the consultation. We knew we could draw on what we know from years of hearing families’ experiences on the SENDIASS advice line and our close links with Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex parent carer forums (PCFs). We also listened to the national conversation about the proposals, for example through the Disabled Children’s Partnership, which Amaze is part of.  This led to a joint letter to MPs from Amaze and the three PCFs in April 

But we also wanted to capture what parent carers and young people thought of the proposals to include in our full response to the government’s consultation.  

At our webinar, we left plenty of time to hear and record parents hopes and fears about the proposals. We checked in with parents at our parent support groups that met in March and April. We also took part in two events run by local MPs to gather views and experiences. It was particularly important to us to ask young people for their views, so Amazing Futures ran a Youth Voice event where young people shared powerful insights about their experiences and the change they want to see. You can read our Youth Voice Day Report into young people’s views on the SEND reforms (pdf 2mb).

We used all this feedback to inform our written response to the consultation. We wrote that we welcomed some elements of the reforms, such as plans for more inclusion bases, stronger national standards for inclusion and the duty on schools to create and maintain individual support plans (ISPs). However, we objected to any changes to legal rights and accountability. For example, we are concerned that there seems to be no route for challenging schools around ISP failures other than the school’s own complaints procedure.  

What’s next? 

The government will look at the consultation response and decide whether to make any changes to their plans. They will need to take legislation through parliament for much of the change but are starting extra investment in SEND sooner to give the reforms a better chance of success.  The earliest that new arrangements around EHCPs can start is in 2029/30. 

Meanwhile each local authority has to write a local SEND Reform Plan and submit that to the Department for Education in mid-June. The timescale is tight but Amaze and the local parent carer forums are staying abreast of this and contributing as far as possible. 

Amaze will continue to keep you up to date as things move forward locally and nationally. If you have individual concerns you can contact the SENDIASS advice line.