Local Offer & SEND
The Children and Families Act received Royal Assent on 13 March 2014. It contains a range of measures focusing on vulnerable children and their families.
Part 3 of the Act refers to reform in the law for the education of children and young adults up to the age of 25 with Special Educational Needs. The provisions of the new Act apply from 1 September 2014 with the incremental introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans.
The Act introduces:
- new expectations that the views of the child and young person will influence decisions made for their education
- a new SEN Code of Practice to be issued by the Government sometime before September 1st
- a requirement for schools and the Local Authority to publish their Local Offers
- a refining of the current system of statutory assessment (that often leads to a statement) into an integrated assessment of education, health and care needs for children with significant SENs
- the determination of special educational provision through an Education, Health and Care Plan, as well as any health and care needs the child or young adult may have
- the potential for young adults to be supported with an Education, Health and Care Plan until the age of 25, and the removal of the current Learning Difficulty Assessment arrangements for those school leavers with the most significant needs.
- the potential for Local Authorities and Health Services to offer services to parents and young adults through a personal budget
This section will provide further information about schools', colleges' and other educational institutions' responsibilities as laid down in the Act and in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years which was issued in its final form in June 2014 and provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act.
Please click here to access our SEN Information Report.
Please click to access Barnet's Local Offer