Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “This White Paper is an important first step in long-overdue reforms for children with additional needs – families are exhausted from fighting the current system and have been calling for change, so it is welcome the government is listening.
“In my report The Children’s Plan I set out a vision for a better and broader way of supporting children who have barriers to learning, from what we call special educational needs and disabilities to those with other challenges like homelessness, bereavement or caring for a parent. All children will face barriers and complexity over the course of their childhoods. We must do better in particular for disabled children and those who need support from children’s social care – under the status quo, thousands are being failed.
“I will be closely scrutinising the detail of these proposals and making sure children’s voices are heard during the consultation process. For those children who are getting the help they need, these reforms must make sure they keep it. We need a system that not only upholds children’s rights but truly champions them, equipped and resourced so children can go to their local school with their friends – because that’s what they tell me they want.”
