Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about support for d/Deaf children.

The past two years have been incredibly difficult for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). I am concerned they have been overlooked during the pandemic, and parents have had to fight to get their needs met. Children and families are put on waiting lists for various services while education, health and care plans are delayed for months.

On the number of Teachers of the d/Deaf, the Department for Education (DfE) says it is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and colleges to commission appropriately qualified staff in their area. However, I worry that Government cuts and a ‘postcode lottery’ of support are translating into less support for children with SEND.

Ministers have recognised that improvement is needed and almost three years after announcing the SEND review, they published the SEND and alternative provision (AP) Green Paper on 29 March. It sets out proposals to set up a new single, national SEND and AP system and to introduce new standards on how needs are identified and met across education, health and care, including best practice in making reasonable adjustments for disabled children. It says DfE will roll out improved careers guidance, invest in supported internship programmes and traineeships, and invest in teacher training.

The Green Paper is open for public consultation until 1 July. Families will have to wait for the consultation to close, then again for a Government response and longer still for any changes on the frontline.

I am disappointed the SEND Review does not match the scale of ambition or deliver the comprehensive reform which is so urgently needed. I wanted to see a coherent plan for supporting children with SEND, from preschool, through their school years and on into further and higher education, where help is promptly provided at whatever age an additional need is identified.

I have long supported calls for a properly co-ordinated catch-up plan with targeted support for children with SEND, and for investment in continuing professional development training for teachers and teaching assistants. Every child should also have access to a professional careers advisor one day a week, including d/Deaf children.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP