Supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities to return to school
As we approach the start of term, with teachers preparing their classrooms with new social distancing guidelines and families sorting out new shoes and uniforms, many children with special educational needs will be excited to be joining their friends back in the classroom. I visited a school this week that had really carefully thought about […]
Response to steps taken to relieve councils of certain duties to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
10 June 2020 Update: The Government has now issued a new notice which extends the measures through June. After publication of this response and note, the Government updated its guidance to reflect the fact that the timescales under which LAs and CCGs must comply with binding orders from the First-tier Tribunal have been eased. We […]
Changes to SEND duties
Modification of Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 What is the change? Section 42 conferred an absolute duty on local authorities to deliver the special educational and healthcare provision set out in a child’s EHCP. After changes made through the Coronavirus Act, local authorities will now be deemed to have met this […]
Statement on changes to regulations affecting children’s social care
Statement by the Children’s Commissioner for England On Friday 24th April the ‘Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020’ came into force, and are not due to expire until 25th September. These regulations make significant temporary changes to the protections given in law to some of the most vulnerable children in the country – those […]
Statement
Requesting additional safeguards to ensure that children’s rights and best interests are upheld during the coronavirus outbreak
Read an update to this article posted 12 August 2020 The Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield has written to both the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education and the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care requesting additional safeguards for particular measures to ensure that children’s rights and best interests are always […]