Don't scrap care plans for children with special educational needs, say MPs

"In their report today they made several recommendations to the DfE, including: Keeping EHCPs and Send tribunals as a "backstop of accountability" for parents Establishing new statutory national minimum standards for what support schools should offer on special educational needs at all levels of need More Send training for all current and future mainstream school staff, including headteachers Investing in more state specialist schools Increasing per-pupil Send funding in line with inflation"

"Individual care plans for children with special educational needs should not be scrapped, say MPs. A new Education Select Committee report also calls for new minimum standards of support for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in schools, as well as more training for teachers. The government is expected to publish plans on how to reform Send provision in England this autumn. They had previously refused to rule out getting rid of education, health and care plans (EHCPs)."

Individual care plans (EHCPs) should be retained alongside SEND tribunals as a backstop of accountability for parents. Statutory national minimum standards should define the support schools must provide for all levels of special educational need. All current and future mainstream school staff, including headteachers, should receive more SEND training. Investment should expand state specialist school places. Per-pupil SEND funding should be increased in line with inflation. The SEND system has seen rising EHCP numbers to 638,745 and was judged financially unsustainable despite large high-needs funding increases over the past decade. The Department for Education says it is listening to families while preparing reforms.

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