Government consults on proposals for SEND and alternative provision

27 June 2022

Have your say on the government’s plans for the future of education and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. 

In March, the Department for Education published its  SEND and alternative provision green paper. 

The government says it wants to create a new national system which will ensure all children and young people with SEND  get access to the right support, in the right place, at the right time. 

Now the Cheshire East 0-25  SEND Partnership is urging local people to respond to the government’s consultation on the plans. 

Parents and carers, children and young people and those working in the  SEND and alternative provision system have until Friday 22 July 2022 to have their say.

Jacky Forster, chair of the Cheshire East 0-25  SEND Partnership Board, said: “When the government set out its proposals for  SEND and alternative provision earlier this year it made clear it wanted to hear from a wide range of people with an interest in making the new system work efficiently and effectively.

“A green paper is, of course, not the final proposal - so there is still an opportunity to influence how the plans develop. A series of consultation events and workshops, including ones specifically designed for children and young people, have taken place.”

The green paper follows the government’s 2019  SEND review which was undertaken to understand current challenges facing children and young people with  SEND and their parents and carers. The review found that many children and young people with SEND , and those in alternative provision, often fall behind their peers and do not feel supported. 

The experiences and outcomes of children and young people can vary depending on where they live - something which the government itself has described as a “postcode lottery”. And many families say they don’t have confidence in the current system. 

The government says it wants to address these challenges and design a new, more inclusive, single national  SEND and alternative provision system which will provide excellent provision from early years to adulthood. The aim is to ensure everyone is able to fulfil their potential through the best available support based on their needs.

To inform its plans the government wants to hear from parents, teachers and children with experience of the  SEND system so that future policy works for everyone. 

Find out more about the SEND  review and green paper on the Department for Education website.

You can also watch a short video on YouTube which provides an overview of the green paper proposals.

You can access the consultation directly here.