The Department for Education’s most senior official has apologised for a six-week wait for accessible versions of its new plans for special educational needs and disability provision to be published.
DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood told the Public Accounts Committee today that it would have been better if the government had been able to publish them more quickly.
The DfE only released a British Sign Language (BSL) version, an easy-read version and a guide to the SEND review for young people this week, more than a month after it published its plans in its SEND Green Paper.
When asked if she would like to apologise for the delay in the publication of accessible versions of the documents, Ms Acland-Hood said: “I am really sorry to anyone who has waited for the accessible version and I really hope they will use them now and have a say. We’re really keen for as many people as possible to have their say.”
Ms Acland-Hood told Labour MP and former shadow education secretary Kate Green that the department knew it was going to have to wait until the final text of the SEND Green Paper was finished before it could give them to a contractor to produce accessible versions.
However, she added: “But it did take longer than we hoped for some of those versions to come out and that is why we have extended the consultation by three weeks in order to make sure that people have a really good opportunity to comment.”
Increase in EHCP requests post pandemic
Public Accounts Committee member Angela Richardson MP said that political leaders and senior officers at Surrey County Council said that they seen a post-Covid increase in the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) being applied for.
She asked if the department was hearing this from local education authorities.
Ms Acland-Hood said that a growth in the number of EHCPs being applied for was “definitely something they have heard” but that it was early to have hard data.
The government’s Green Paper aims to reduce parents’ need for EHCPs by making mainstream schools more inclusive for pupils with SEND and improving early intervention.
However, the proposals are only out for consultation and it is not yet clear when legislation based on the Green Paper plans will be introduced.
When asked how soon the government will be able to introduce changes to the SEND system, Ms Acland-Hood said that the Department for Education would produce an implementation plan with a timetable after the consultation closes.
She said she was confident that this plan would be published this year.
A full breakdown of the Green Paper proposals can be read here.
The consultation on the proposals is open until 22 July.
