IPSEA @IPSEAcharity Twitter profile

Last Seen Profiles

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Parent of child with SEND: ‘To get a mortgage you don’t need to understand mortgage law; to trust your doctor, you don’t need a medical degree. Why is SEND different?’ Parents have to become legal experts to get the support their children need and are entitled to. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

Latest SEND Tribunal stats published today by @MoJGovUK show more appeals than ever, with an astonishing 98% of cases decided by the Tribunal last year going against local authorities. It couldn't be clearer that unlawful decision-making is endemic. 1/2

Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2023

www.gov.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 months

. @Warwickshire_CC , we have a wealth of information on SEND law on our website if you would like to read up on children's and young people’s legal rights and entitlements. We also provide SEND law training - please contact us if you are interested.

Ex-cabinet member suggests some SEND children in Warwickshire are 'just really badly behaved'

It was part of the county’s children and young people overview and scrutiny committee’s in-depth discussion of SEND provision, specifically the spiralling financial bill the council is facing to keep...

www.warwickshireworld.com

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 months

Judge McConnell says it’s not always clear to Tribunal on what basis a local authority has made a decision. Tribunal now requires panel meeting notes/minutes to be disclosed in evidence. Decisions MUST be made in accordance with law not local policy. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 months

There’s a worryingly persistent narrative in government & LAs that the SEND crisis is the result of parents/carers being too demanding. Our new blog post is a reminder that parents/carers are doing nothing more than expecting LAs to follow the law. 🔗

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 months

The @ChildrensComm is right - the SEND system isn't working for children as it should. But radical reform isn't the answer. The law on support for children w/ SEND couldn't be clearer, but it isn't being followed. The system needs to be made to work, not reformed all over again.

Children's Commissioner for England

@ChildrensComm

4 months

It’s still taking far too long for children to get EHCPs. We need radical reform of the SEND system, so it is as ambitious for children as they are for themselves.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

Waterloo Road @BBCOne fans may have seen a pupil receiving a diagnosis of ADHD in a recent episode. After the diagnosis, the teacher advises an EHC plan can now be applied for, also asking permission from the professional who gave the diagnosis. ⬆️ THIS IS INCORRECT ⬆️ /1

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

Over 30 lawyers have joined us in calling on the Govt to abandon proposals in the #SENDReview Green Paper. Read our letter to the Secretary of State for Education @GillianKeegan : The system doesn’t need to be reformed again. It needs to be made to work.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Good news from the High Court: local authorities can no longer delay updating EHC plans for months on end. Draft amended plan must be issued within 4 weeks of the annual review, with the final amended plan issued within 12 weeks of the annual review.

High Court calls time on council delays for children with special needs and disabilities - Watkins...

In a landmark judgment issued today (8 March 2022) the High Court has made it clear that every local council must keep to fixed legal time limits when reviewing...

www.watkinssolicitors.co.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

The narrative on children & young people with SEND, defining them as ‘vulnerable’, is problematic. Many are made vulnerable by the way the education system treats them. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

7 months

🧵We've heard of some LAs asking parents to arrange educational psychologist reports as part of an EHC needs assessment Remember, if an LA agrees to carry out an EHC needs assessment it must carry it out at its own cost. It can't ask you/school to do it or pay for any part of it

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 months

The narrative that LAs are being financially broken by the unreasonable demands of parents and carers is neither true nor fair. It isn’t about parents’ demands: it’s about children’s needs and legal rights. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 months

We demand a better future for children and young people with SEND. As we mark the end of our 40th anniversary year, we are at the House of Commons this evening to talk with MPs and colleagues in the SEND sector about our vision for the future, and the action that must be taken.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

Over the past four decades, we've consistently highlighted the most significant issue within the SEND system: widespread non-compliance with the law. This must be addressed. Children and young people with SEND are legally entitled to an education that meets their needs.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

We’re updating our website resources following the judgment yesterday.For those parents/young people awaiting an amended EHC plan following an annual review,the following paragraph can be incorporated in a letter to your LA that explains what it must do to comply with the law.1/5

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

11 months

Children and young people don't 'demand' special educational provision - they need it and are legally entitled to it. If local authorities spent less time trying to side-step the law and more time understanding local needs, everyone would benefit.

180 pupils a day in England given special needs support plan

Local authority deficits reach ‘unmanageable levels’ as half a million pupils get support

www.theguardian.com

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Legislation to support children & young people with all types of SEND – inc Down Syndrome – already exists. Govt’s priority should be making sure existing law is followed. Law is clear that it's a child's needs, not their diagnosis, that determines their access to support.

Liam Fox MP

@LiamFox

3 years

(1/2) Absolutely delighted that the Government have announced they will be supporting my Private Members’ Bill ( #DownSyndromeBill ). This Bill is a world first and will make a real difference to many lives. #DownSyndrome 👇

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

11 months

Non-compliance with the law by many LAs lies at the heart of the SEND crisis. If this is not addressed, nothing is likely to improve. What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in navigating the SEND system? Tell us in the comments or R/T. #IPSEAat40

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

This is unhelpful & misleading. EHC plans are separate to home-school transport - governed by different pieces of legislation entirely. Children who are legally eligible for free transport may be disabled - but many are not. Why are children w/ SEND being singled out in this way?

Robert Colvile

@rcolvile

5 months

On home-school transport, if you have an Education, Health and Care Plan for a kid with SEND needs, it's a golden ticket. You can, among other things, get them taxis to/from school. There are obviously many kids who do need this! But the number of such plans has risen hugely.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Judge Jane McConnell says it’s rumoured that @educationgovuk may issue standardised format for EHCPs – this would be widely welcomed. #SenLawConf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

8 months

Greater transparency is needed from @educationgovuk , not least on what the 20% reduction target is based on: what's the evidence that children & young people are being given EHC plans they don't need?

Evidence of Government’s target to reduce the overall number of EHC plans revealed

Despite repeated denials, it has emerged that the Department for Education has a target to reduce by 20% the number of children and young people who are given an EHC plan

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

1/2 The system is currently failing many children and young people with SEND – not because of a lack of clear expectations or legal duties, but because the law is not followed or effectively enforced.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

This isn’t some kind of game. It’s children & young people’s education and life-chances. The way to fix the SEND system – and end trauma for families – is to insist on lawful decisions being taken first time. 2/2

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

The SEND system doesn't need a huge overhaul: it needs national and local leaders who are committed to supporting children & young people in the way the law requires them to.

Tes

@tes

2 years

The government SEND review – which was launched more than two years ago – will deliver a 'huge overhaul' of the system, pledges minister @willquince

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

8 months

Having to go through a Tribunal appeal has a massive impact on families - and not every family can do it. The solution to this situation is to ensure that local authorities comply with the law, make lawful decisions first time and fulfil their duties to children & young people.

Disabled Children's Partnership

@DCPcampaign

8 months

Research out today from @ProBonoEcon commissioned by the DCP has found that £60mn of public money was wasted on lost SEND tribunals in 2021-22. 9,960 places in SEN units in mainstream schools could be funded each year with the money wasted. Our report:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

Thanks to everyone who has signed, shared & supported our letter to the Secretary of State for Education today. We urge the Govt to commit to making the current system work as it should for children & YP with SEND, and to introduce robust consequences for LAs that break the law.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Nick Whittaker from Ofsted says that too often the quality of EHC plans isn’t good enough. It’s very hard for families who have had to fight hard for a plan, to find that it doesn’t make the difference for their child that it should. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Some children & young people have mental health needs that aren't being identified as special educational needs, and they aren’t receiving the support they need in school. Instead they are disciplined for their ‘behaviour’, and their mental health deteriorates. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Extraordinary new report from LGA on SEND disputes misses the point that LAs wouldn't keep losing Tribunal appeals unless the evidence supported families of children & young people with SEND. The Tribunal does nothing more than apply the law.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

The Children’s Minister has replied to the letter we & 40 SEND lawyers sent the Education Secretary urging the Govt to implement existing SEND law rather than redesigning the system. We plan to meet with the minister to discuss concerns about proposed changes in SEND green paper.

IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

Over 30 lawyers have joined us in calling on the Govt to abandon proposals in the #SENDReview Green Paper. Read our letter to the Secretary of State for Education @GillianKeegan : The system doesn’t need to be reformed again. It needs to be made to work.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

There’s a lot to absorb in the SEND Green Paper – and a lot to be concerned about. We’re still carefully reading the proposals and looking at how these fit with the current legal framework, and will produce a detailed analysis soon. In the meantime, a few things jump out. /1

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

7 months

We have shared with @UKLabour our analysis of how to make the SEND system work for children & young people. It comes down to applying existing law, improving accountability & changing the prevailing culture of denying support until there's a crisis.

Schools Week

@SchoolsWeek

7 months

Labour has offered little about how it might fix the 'fundamentally broken' SEND system, although it did promise not to 'rip everything up' if elected

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

The Govt has published its SEND Improvement Plan this morning - a follow-up to last year's SEND green paper. Our team will be analysing the detail, but in the meantime, the main thing to note is that there is no change to the law on support for children & young people with SEND.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

What does IPSEA want to see from the SEND Review? No need for legislative change, no dilution of children’s rights & entitlements. Problem is not existing law, but – culture in too many LAs that following the law is optional. Proper accountability is needed. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 years

'No-win no-fee' lawyers do not exist in the context of SEND Tribunal appeals And whilst we at IPSEA support as many families as we can, our resources are limited. The focus should be on holding LAs accountable to comply with the law so that fewer families have to go to Tribunal

Tes

@tes

5 years

Rise in 'no-win no-fee' lawyers involved in SEND tribunals

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 months

A firm rebuttal of the tired cliche that an EHC plan is a 'golden ticket' and a reminder of how hard parents have to fight for the support their children need. Thank you @johnharris1969

As councils crumble, a new scapegoat has been found: the parents of disabled and vulnerable...

At least, that’s the suggestion from ministers who criticise people fighting for their kids to get an adequate education, writes Guardian columnist John Harris

www.theguardian.com

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

We are so pleased to have been awarded a fantastic grant from the @BigLotteryFund to fund our redeveloped IPSEA website, enabling us to provide vital advice and resources to #SEND families. A big thank you to those who play the lottery & make this grant possible! #BigLotteryFund

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 months

Our evidence to @CommonsEd inquiry on social care for disabled children has just been published. We told MPs that disabled children are children in need according to the law, but are not receiving the social care support they need and are entitled to. 1/4

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 months

Judge McConnell says she’s concerned at emergence of “cottage industry” of people charging parents to support them at Tribunal based on their own case rather than detailed knowledge of the law. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

It’s very concerning that the Govt appears to be considering changes to the law as part of its review of support for children with SEND. The current law doesn’t need to be changed – it needs to be fully implemented everywhere.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

3 years

NEW POST: SEND Minister Vicky Ford has admitted legal entitlements for children with SEND are "up for review". SNJ's policy expert, Catriona Moore, voices our collective concern. Read more in our article today:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

11 months

Parents & carers of children with #SEND 👇 Do you have a child who is unable to attend school? We've just published a new web page with info on local authorities’ legal duty to provide alternative education - and a template letter to help you request it.

Template letter 22: asking the local authority to arrange alternative education

These template letters can be used to help you make a request for alternative education

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 years

We’ve been hearing about a lot of LAs refusing to specify hours of support in EHCPs, or saying they will only state a funding band or figure with no further detail. This is not lawful. We’ve written a summary of the case which established this here:

R v Cumbria County Council ex parte P [1994] ELR 337

P’s Statement referred to speech therapy under part 3 but in such vague terms that his father did not have a clear idea of how much help to expect for his son. The speech therapist’s advice recomme...

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

We are strongly opposed to any plans by ministers to overhaul the Human Rights Act. The Act is used by ordinary people to enforce basic rights. Any dilution will have a disproportionate impact on children and young people with SEND.

Law Society Gazette

@lawsocgazette

3 years

Human Rights Act will be overhauled before the next general election, the lord chancellor and justice secretary pledged today: #CPC21

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Thank you @_OliviaBlake for asking the PM this important question. His answer suggests that special educational provision is all about special schools - but it's much wider than that. Vital that the SEND Review includes a plan for improving SEN Support in mainstream schools.

Olivia Blake MP

@_OliviaBlake

3 years

At #PMQs I asked @BorisJohnson why the #SEND review has been delayed AGAIN, especially when so many children with SEND are still out of school. The Prime Minister failed to give me any answer on improving inclusion and listening to young people & carers in the review. @APPG_SEND

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

8 months

Good work by @SpcialNdsJungle uncovering the target that @educationgovuk repeatedly said doesn't exist - to reduce by 20% the number of children & young people who have an EHC plan. We have asked the Shadow Children's Minister to raise this as an urgent question in Parliament.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

8 months

NEW POST: 20% EHCP cuts? The DfE has got some explaining to do after repeated denials. And why its LA bail-out will end up triggering the law of unintended consequences. From @CaptainK77 & @TaniaLT

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

29 days

Another report on support for children with SEND that talks about parents' "expectations" rather than what the law requires. What parents expect is that schools will understand and follow SEND law. This is not an unreasonable expectation.

National Foundation for Educational Research

@TheNFER

29 days

🆕 Multi-academy trust SEND leaders play pivotal role in addressing growing list of SEND challenges. For more from this research, visit: 🟣 Full story - 🟣 Key findings - 🟣 PDF Report - #TheMATFactor

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Stronger powers are needed against local authorities that repeatedly fail children & young people with SEND – the stakes couldn’t be higher for families, but aren’t high enough for councils.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

3 years

NEW POST: Local authority criticised by Local Government Ombudsman after repeatedly failing a disabled young man over a decade. Are stronger deterrents needed? Read the details here:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

Not really a surprise that @LGOmbudsman receives and upholds more complaints about education/children’s services than any other service area. But even we are stopped in our tracks at the news that 92% of families' complaints about SEN provision & EHC plans are upheld.

LG & SC Ombudsman

@LGOmbudsman

10 months

From education to elderly care and housing, our latest statistics shed light on the harsh realities people across the country face in crucial aspects of their lives.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

Unfortunately, as the end of term approaches, we are once again hearing about children with #SEND who don't have a school to attend from September 2023. We’ve produced this guidance to help parents and carers who are in this situation 👇

Children who do not have a school place

At the start of a new school year, far too many children with SEND are without a school to attend.

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

"It does seem at this point like the Department for Education is trying to ensure that anyone who cares about defending children's rights is so buried under paperwork that they might just be crushed by the weight of it." It does feel a bit like that - but we are not crushed!

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

2 years

NEW POST: And now, yet another SEND consultation, this time: should timescales for EHCP Annual review be changed? We've condensed it for you

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 years

IPSEA is incredibly disappointed that the SoS has issued a second notice diluting the absolute duty on LAs to secure special educational provision in EHC plans until the end of June. The uncertainty this creates for CYP with #SEND is unacceptable.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

The Govt's SEND review must address the gap between local authorities' duties to children with SEND and the resources available. #APPGonCP

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

No surprise that a new House of Lords report concludes that implementation of the Children & Families Act 2014 has been a failure and children & families have suffered as a result. Peers call it a missed opportunity and say that the SEND system needs to be properly accountable.

House of Lords Children and Families Act Committee

@HLChildrenAct

1 year

We've published our report "Children and Families Act 2014: A failure of implementation" today: 🖥️ Watch below for a summary of our key findings and recommendations

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

1/ What we’re concerned about in the #SENDReview – a thread 🧵 (If you share any of these concerns, it is 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 important that you let @educationgovuk know before 22 July by responding to the consultation: )

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

We've written to every local authority that has a safety valve agreement with the DfE, asking them to confirm that they will fulfil all their legal duties to children & young people with #SEND . We look forward to receiving responses from each LA soon.

IPSEA writes to local authorities over concerns with safety valve agreements

Local authority agreements to contain spending risk children and young people with SEND being denied the special educational provision and support to which they are legally entitled

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

We're concerned that safety valve agreements between @educationgovuk and individual LAs are a way of reducing children/YP’s rights by the back door. Strict requirement to cut costs risks restricting children/YP's access to provision they need. Our Policy Manager quoted in @tes .

Tes

@tes

10 months

‘Pupils deserve a system based on need, not one hamstrung by financial targets,’ says @NAHTnews ’ @JamesJKBowen as SEND charity @IPSEAcharity fears ‘cost-cutting’ safety valve deals will mean a breach of the law for pupils with SEND

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 years

We have recently updated its information on school re-opening to emphasise that it is no longer possible for a school to refuse to admit a pupil as a result of a risk assessment. The only legal basis on which a school may prevent a child attending is a formal exclusion

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

We will be responding to the consultation on new behaviour guidance, which doesn't acknowledge that schools disproportionately sanction children & young people with SEND. Behaviour is not always a ‘choice’ for a child with SEND, esp if they aren’t receiving the support they need.

Callum Mason

@CallumCMason

2 years

Exclusive: Schools that follow the government's latest behaviour guidance could risk breaking the law through their treatment of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, a top education lawyer has warned.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Question on Ofsted. Ali Fiddy says Ofsted should look at whether law is being complied with, not just children & families’ “experience” of the process. Are children getting what they are entitled to, is their EHC plan being translated into actual provision.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

Last month, we heard of an instance where an LA had said that 2 years of assess, plan, do, review was required before requesting an EHC needs assessment. This is unlawful. Here's a reminder of some of the common myths & unlawful policies surrounding EHC needs assessments 👇

IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

Myth-busting! How many of these have you heard? For support with EHC needs assessments, and many other #SEND topics, head to our website to access our free legal guides, resources and template letters:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Making mediation mandatory & making it harder to appeal to Tribunal. Lots of problems with this. But if ministers want a less adversarial system, they need to find a way of making sure the law is followed in every area, for every child. /5

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 months

We think there should also be a national template for evidence given by professionals as part of the EHC needs assessment process – to make sure info & advice on which an EHCP is based is complete, detailed & in line with what law requires. #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 months

Parents & carers of children with #SEND 👇 Do you have a child who is unable to attend school? We've written some guidance explaining local authorities’ legal duty to provide alternative education - along with a template letter to help you request it.

Template letter 22: asking the local authority to arrange alternative education

These template letters can be used to help you make a request for alternative education

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

8 months

MYTH BUSTING ⬇️ When requesting an EHC needs assessment, you do not need to provide evidence of educational psychologist input. If your local authority refuses your request because you don't have educational psychologist involvement, this is unlawful.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

The priority for policy-makers should be making sure that all local authorities have the resources they need to deliver their legal obligations to children and young people with SEND, and tackling the culture of disregarding the law.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

2 years

NEW POST: £93 million more for respite, supported internships and making LAs do what they're supposed to. Is it new money? Will it have an impact? Find out more in today's post

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Ministers want the system for supporting children with SEND to be "less confrontational". This will happen when the law is followed in every local area. The upcoming SEND Green Paper needs to strengthen accountability, not reform the system all over again.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

2 years

NEW POST: Columnist, Catriona Moore watched the webinar with SEND Minister Will Quince and says we need LAs and health bodies to obey the current law, we don’t need a “fundamental system reform”

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

7 months

Parents/carers – do you live in one of the local authority areas below? The SEND Change Programme is being tested in your area. It’s important to understand that the programme can’t introduce changes that are outside the law. Know your child's rights.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

11 months

The huge rise in the Tribunal’s outstanding caseload over the past year shows a SEND system at crisis point. Non-compliance with SEND law has become so endemic in local authorities, leaving children & young people without vital educational support during lengthy appeal waits.

John Hyde

@JohnHyde1982

11 months

Not sure people are aware of the crisis in our SEND tribunal system and the thousands of children stuck in limbo waiting for appeals.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

How to reduce the number of appeals to the SEND Tribunal? Comply with the law! #senlawconf

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Ofsted says that more than half the 116 local areas inspected since 2016 show ‘significant weaknesses’ in meeting their legal duties to children with SEND and securing good outcomes for them.

Ofsted

@Ofstednews

3 years

Area SEND inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 March 2021 official statistics have been published. Find more information at:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

We are disappointed to see no mention of SEND funding in #Budget18 As part of the SEC, we were one of 120 organisations who called on the PM & Chancellor to put #ChildrenAtTheHeart of the Government's spending, and we'll continue to support this campaign:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

New report from Ofsted confirms that the system for supporting children with SEND was failing children & young people long before the pandemic. Will the Govt’s SEND review tackle the lack of accountability for these failings?

Ofsted

@Ofstednews

3 years

We’ve just published our third area #SEND interim report, drawing on findings from our joint visits to local areas with the @CareQualityComm . Read the full report here:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Tulip Siddiq says there is a 'systemic lack of compliance' with the law on supporting children with SEND. We hear the same thing from families every day. #APPGonCP

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

An important report on how local authorities can make the right decisions first time about children & young people with SEND, so that appealing to Tribunal isn't the only way for families to get the educational provision their children need. We participated in the working group.

Administrative Justice Council

@ajc_justice

10 months

Today, the AJC publishes a report on Improving Local Authority Decision-making in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It found that over 90% of appeals to the SEND tribunal were in the appellants favour, resulting in a positive outcome for parents or young people. 1/4

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Making mediation compulsory fails to recognise inherent inequality in SEND disputes, where individual parents, carers or young people challenge a public body. Reduce number of appeals to SEND Tribunal by complying with the law, not restricting routes of redress.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Assumption that increasing number of Tribunal appeals demonstrates parents’ ‘frustration’ with SEND system. No: it demonstrates unlawful decision-making by LAs. /3

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

The Human Rights Act underpins families' battles to make the system for supporting children & young people with SEND work as it should. The Government's new Bill of Rights will reduce the human rights protections that children & their families rely on.

Ministry of Justice

@MoJGovUK

2 years

A new Bill of Rights has been introduced to the @HouseOfCommons today. It will replace the Human Rights Act & strike a better balance between individuals’ rights, personal responsibility & the public interest. Hear from @DominicRaab on the key measures in the Bill. #HumanRights

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

We responded to the recent government consultation on school attendance. Our view: schools need to look at why children with SEND are absent and provide support, rather than sanctioning parents for the consequences of unmet needs.

Support children, don’t sanction parents – our response to consultation on school attendance

School attendance policies must be flexible enough to reflect the particular needs of children and young people with SEND

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 years

But it shouldn’t be left to parents to challenge LAs via appeals, complaints or litigation in order to get what their children are legally entitled to. #BBCPanorama

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

An interesting angle on the latest SEND Tribunal stats - why are local authority lawyers allowing appeals to go all the way to a hearing that they will almost certainly lose?

Jack, the beanstalk and the SEND Tribunal

Tribunal figures show councils to be doubling down on the creation and enforcement of Education, Health and Care Plans.

www.lawgazette.co.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 years

Unlawful LA behaviour and the failure of government to hold LAs to account is the problem. Please don’t mislead families into thinking the law isn’t on their side or that EHC plans are worthless. That is not the case. #BBCPanorama

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

We’d like to give a huge shout-out to all our volunteers and staff for their hard work - we've just been awarded Best Helpline Sector Contributor by @HelplinesUK #HLPAC2917

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

Bristol parents successful challenge to SEN budget - this decision will have implications for any local authority which is considering proposals to make reductions to its high needs funding:

Bristol parents successfully challenge cuts to SEN budget

This recent case concerned the judicial review of Bristol City Council’s decision to reduce its high needs block budget by over £5 million

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

10 months

Parents & carers 📢 Join us on 15 August for our FREE webinar where we'll be providing valuable guidance for families of children with #SEND who are out of school due to illness, exclusion, school anxiety, or lack of a school place. Reserve your space:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

1/2 We hope that meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND will be prioritised during this lockdown, and that we won't see a repeat of the government action taken previously which resulted in a dilution of local authorities' obligations towards this group.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

IPSEA’s response to the Govt’s recent consultation on new guidance for schools on behaviour management & exclusion.

Setting children with SEND up to fail: our response to consultation on behaviour management and...

Treating all children fairly does not mean treating them all the same - this is our message to the Government on school behaviour policies

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Question from @CommonsEd on whether there should be a neutral advocate to help parents navigate SEND system. Ali Fiddy says SENDIASS should be strengthened and enabled to offer consistent service across country – and should be able to be truly impartial.

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Here's the SEND Green Paper. We're off to make a cup of tea and have a read - back later!

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

The @letuslearntoo petition is not misleading. It summarises very well the ways in which many children & young people with SEND are being failed, and asks @educationgovuk not to repeat the same mistakes with the current SEND review.

Special Needs Jungle

@SpcialNdsJungle

3 years

NEW POST: The Department for Education has claimed that the 11,000+ strong petition from Let us Learn Too is "misleading". Really, we ask? Let's look at it in a little more detail...

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

IPSEA will be featuring on BBC Breakfast's special report tomorrow focusing on appeals to the SEND tribunal - due to be aired at around 6.45am #BBCsend

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

5 months

Too often, children’s social care focuses on children who are at risk of harm & overlooks children who are in need of support to live the sort of ‘normal’ lives most people take for granted. Vital that @CommonsEd has a proper look at disabled children’s experience of social care.

Education Committee

@CommonsEd

5 months

🚨We've just launched an inquiry to assess the current system of children’s social care. We will look at protection for vulnerable children, support for care leavers, the social care market and more. Read about this topic and how to get involved👇 1/2

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

“The system for supporting children and young people with SEND is verging on crisis." Our Chief Exec, Ali Fiddy, is quoted in The Guardian today as we see a 56% increase in demand for our services since the introduction of the Children and Families Act:

Special needs pupils being failed by system 'on verge of crisis'

Rising demand puts councils in England at risk of bankruptcy, Guardian investigation reveals

www.theguardian.com

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

8 months

Last year's SEND consultation had little to welcome, but one thing we did welcome was the long-overdue recognition that a national template for EHC plans is necessary. In our latest blog, we set out what we think the template should look like - and why:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

A very brief summary of some of the proposals in the SEND green paper, IPSEA's initial reaction, and next steps.

Government publishes SEND Review and invites people’s views

The Government has published its long-awaited SEND review setting out proposals for changes to the way the SEND system works

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

6 years

An EHC plan does not have a fixed format – each local authority can develop its own ‘style’, but legally they must contain a number of separate sections. Use our EHC plan checklist to see whether your EHC plan complies with the law. Find it here:

What an EHC plan contains

An EHC plan should be written in a way that makes it clear, to parents, young people, schools, colleges and LAs, who is required to do what, when it has to happen and how often it should be reviewed

www.ipsea.org.uk

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

3 years

Unfortunately, as the end of term approaches we are once again hearing about children with SEND who don't have a school to attend from September 2021. We’ve produced this guidance to help parents and carers who are in this situation:

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 year

This editorial says exactly what needs to be said about the battle parents face to get the special educational provision and support their children need and to which they are entitled by law.

The Guardian view on Send provision: letting children down | Editorial

Editorial: Record numbers of parents are fighting councils in court to get the support they need. They shouldn’t have to resort to this

www.theguardian.com

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

4 years

Our CEO, Ali Fiddy giving evidence at the Education Committee today - LAs are prepared to take the risk that parents won’t challenge their decisions and at the moment, when no decisions are being made, there is no right of challenge to the SEND Tribunal

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

1 month

Ten years since the Children & Families Act 2014 reformed the system for supporting children & young people with SEND. They are still the right reforms - but the system needs to be made more accountable and inclusive.

Schools Week

@SchoolsWeek

2 months

🔍 Ten years ago, the 'biggest education reforms in a generation' for youngsters with SEND gained royal assent @samanthajbooth interviewed more than a experts and key decision-makers to unpick what went wrong, and how we can fix it…

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IPSEA

@IPSEAcharity

2 years

Children of compulsory school age are legally entitled to a suitable full-time education. As a rule, schools can’t put children on a part-time timetable. They could only do so in exceptional circumstances, such as to meet a pupil’s medical needs. Read more

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