Today (01/09/2014) the Special Educational Needs Reforms in the new Children and Families Act will come into full force.
The new Children and Families Act has been welcomed as it will give young people some additional rights and opportunities. However, there are concerns the Act’s aspirations to place young people’s needs at the heart of planning and provision could be undermined.
Shaftesbury is a member of the Association of National Specialist Colleges (NATSPEC), which recently launched the ‘Right Not a Fight’ campaign calling for education equality among young disabled people. The campaign focuses on the challenges facing young people with complex needs who would like to attend a specialist college but may find it difficult to the under the new funding arrangements. ‘Right Not a Fight’ was recently featured in the Guardian newspaper and can be accessed here.
There are a number of useful resources to guide families through the new changes. Here is a selection:
- IPSEA: They have produced a new website specifically for the new changes.http://www.ipsea.org.uk/?dm_i=PWP,2RIJ2,E4QCPY,A27DD,1
- Contact a Family: A charity for families of disabled people. http://www.cafamily.org.uk/advice-and-support/sen-national-advice-service/
- Special Needs Jungle: Parent led information, resources and informed opinions on children with Special Educational Needs, disability and health conditions. http://www.specialneedsjungle.com/