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The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) has submitted its response to the Department for Education consultation on Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS).

 Our response has been informed by feedback from Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) across England, including discussion through our SEND Reform Community of Practice. As part of this engagement, we welcomed Claire Burton, DfE Director for SEND and Alternative Provision, alongside members of her policy team, to discuss the proposals and hear directly from Parent Carer Forums through a dedicated Q&A session.

Our response supports the ambition for children and young people to receive high-quality education, earlier support and stronger oversight. However, we are clear that greater consistency must not come at the expense of individualised provision or existing statutory protections. Children and young people receiving EOTAS are often those for whom conventional education arrangements have already not been able to meet their needs.

Key themes within our response include:

• ensuring there is no gap in entitlement for children and young people who are unable to access a formal education setting
• retaining clear statutory accountability and independent routes of challenge
• ensuring EOTAS remains needs-led, individualised and flexible
• protecting access to personal budgets, direct payments and bespoke provision
• avoiding arbitrary expectations or timescales around reintegration
• ensuring stronger quality assurance is proportionate and does not exclude small or specialist providers
• recognising that successful outcomes should be wider than attendance alone
• strengthening the response for children and young people unable to attend education because of health needs
• ensuring existing successful EOTAS arrangements are not unnecessarily disrupted through future SEND reforms.

Our response also highlights the importance of maintaining continuity for children and young people where their existing EOTAS arrangements are working well and ensuring that changes to provision are based on individual need, current evidence and outcomes rather than age, educational phase or administrative thresholds.

Views and experiences of EOTAS will naturally differ, and no single response can fully reflect every individual perspective. Responses submitted directly by parent carers, children and young people, PCFs and other organisations are equally important, and it is vital that this evidence helps inform the development of future arrangements.

You can read the full NNPCF response here: https://nnpcf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NNPCF_EOTAS_Consultation_FV.pdf

The NNPCF is delighted to announce the appointment of Marie Leddy as our new Regional Director for the North East. Marie is currently working behind the scenes to prepare for the role and will formally begin working with Parent Carer Forums across the region at the start of the new academic year in September.

As part of this transition, Marie will step down from her current role as NNPCF Participation Co-ordinator and will focus solely on her new role as North East Regional Director.

Marie replaces Claire North, who stepped down from the role in April. We would like to thank Claire for her contribution during her time as Regional Director and wish her well for the future.

Marie is already well known to many Parent Carer Forums through her work as the NNPCF Participation Co-ordinator. She brings significant experience of working alongside forums, supporting parent carer participation and ensuring their voices are heard.

Upon her appointment, Marie said:

“I’m truly honoured to be taking on the role of North East Regional Director. Parent Carer Forums play such an important role in influencing positive change for families, and I’m excited to work alongside forums across the region to build on the fantastic work already taking place. I’m looking forward to listening, learning and helping ensure parent carers continue to have a strong voice in shaping services.”

Jo Harrison and Sarah Clarke, Co-Chairs of the NNPCF, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Marie to the NNPCF Board as our new North East Regional Director. Marie brings a wealth of experience, a strong understanding of parent carer participation and a clear commitment to ensuring the voices of Parent Carer Forums are heard.

“We know Marie will be a great support to forums across the North East and will represent their experiences and priorities strongly at both regional and national levels. We look forward to working alongside her in this new role.”

We look forward to Marie’s leadership and to continuing to strengthen our relationships with Parent Carer Forums across the North East.

As part of the Government’s programme to strengthen inclusive mainstream education, the following documents have been published today:

• Inclusive Education Estates Guidance  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-education-estates
• Inclusive Mainstream Fund Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mainstream-fund-support-for-school-leaders/developing-an-inclusion-strategy-using-the-inclusive-mainstream-fund
• Inclusion Bases Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusion-bases-in-schools

We understand that a parent fact sheet will be published shortly.

Together, these documents set out the Governments expectations for improving inclusion through investment, guidance and changes to practice across mainstream education.

NNPCF welcomes this important step towards creating a more inclusive education system where children and young people with SEND can learn, thrive and belong within their local communities. Clear expectations for inclusion, combined with investment in support, workforce development and learning environments, have the potential to reduce the postcode lottery that too many families currently experience.

Parent Carer Forums consistently tell us that the families they represent want their children to attend a local setting where they are understood, supported and included alongside their peers. We are particularly pleased to see the emphasis that inclusion bases should act as a bridge to mainstream participation, not a barrier to it, and that the guidance recognises the importance of creating environments that work for all children and young people.

The publication of guidance is an important milestone, but successful implementation will depend on schools, colleges and early years settings having access to the workforce, training, specialist expertise and sustainable funding needed to deliver these ambitions in practice. Inclusion cannot be achieved through physical spaces alone; it requires confident staff, timely access to specialist support and a culture where every child feels valued and able to participate.

As these reforms are implemented, it will be essential that Parent Carer Forums, alongside children, young people and parent carers, continue to be involved in shaping provision locally. It is equally important that greater inclusion within mainstream settings complements, rather than replaces, specialist provision where it is needed. Families need confidence that support will be available based on need, regardless of where they live, and that inclusion will result in meaningful improvements to children’s experiences, outcomes and sense of belonging.

We look forward to continuing to work with government to ensure these ambitions translate into positive change for children, young people and families across the country.

The Department for Education has announced the appointment of a national panel of experts to help shape the future SEND system, ensuring that children and young people with SEND receive better support in every classroom

Co-chaired by Tom Rees and Dr Anne Gordon, it will ensure reforms are informed by the best available evidence and expertise from across education, health and care. The panel will also engage with stakeholders to make sure their recommendations are informed by a wide range of views and lived experience. A parental engagement group to support the panel’s work will also be established immediately.

The National Inclusion Standards will set out what good support looks like across the country, giving schools and colleges clearer expectations and helping ensure children receive consistent support regardless of where they live.

For children and young people with the most complex needs, we are proposing Specialist Provision Packages will underpin EHCPs, setting out clearly the support they should expect to receive, from specialist teaching and therapies to communication aids and assistive technology.

The wider reforms will be taken forward through the Education for All Bill, subject to the outcome of our consultation on the proposed reforms, including proposals for a new legal duty to put an Individual Support Plan in place for every child and young person with SEND, ensuring they have a clear route to support and access to high-quality education, health and care wherever they live.

Sarah Clarke, NNPCF Co-Chair, has been appointed as a member of the panel. Commenting on her appointment, she said:

“I am happy to be appointed to the expert panel for National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages. It is exiting to be appointed alongside such a range of education, health and research professionals and to be able to get started on this important work”

Jo Harrison, Co-Chair of the NNPCF, has been appointed to chair the Parental Engagement Group. Commenting on her appointment, she stated: “I am pleased to have been asked to chair the Parental Engagement Group and look forward to supporting the Panel, ensuring that parent carer voices help shape the future SEND system.”

You can read more here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/local-areas-prepare-new-experts-at-hand-teams

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) welcomes the publication of the Department for Education’s Developing and delivering the Experts at Hand offer in year 1: supporting guidance, which sets out expectations for the development and delivery of this important SEND reform programme from September 2026. 

Experts at Hand aims to improve access to specialist support within mainstream education settings by bringing together Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers to work alongside education staff, children, young people and families. Backed by £1.8 billion of investment over three years, the programme seeks to strengthen early identification, build workforce confidence and support more inclusive practice within mainstream settings. 

For families, the ambition of Experts at Hand is simple: to provide earlier support, closer to where children and young people learn, without families having to wait for needs to escalate before receiving help. 

In practice, this could mean: 

• Earlier identification of needs in nurseries, schools and colleges. 

• Greater access to specialist expertise, including Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers working directly with education settings. 

• Practical advice, strategies and interventions being put in place more quickly. 

• More support embedded within everyday learning environments. 

• Increased opportunities for parents and carers to be involved in shaping support and understanding their child’s needs. 

Importantly, Experts at Hand does not replace existing statutory support or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) provision. The guidance is clear that the programme should be additional to existing support and should never be used to replace provision specified within an EHCP. 

The NNPCF welcomes the recognition of Parent Carer Forums as key partners within local area partnerships and the clear expectation that PCFs should be involved in the co-production, strategic planning, commissioning, delivery and governance of local Experts at Hand offers. The guidance also highlights the importance of drawing on established engagement routes, including Parent Carer Forums, when designing, implementing and reviewing local arrangements. 

Parent Carer Forums play a unique role in bringing together the collective views and experiences of local families and ensuring that these inform strategic decision-making. By embedding the voice of parent carers throughout the development and delivery of Experts at Hand, local areas will be better placed to design services that are responsive to need and deliver meaningful improvements for children and young people with SEND and their families 

While we welcome the ambition of the programme, we remain concerned that existing workforce shortages could present a significant barrier to successful implementation. We recognise and welcome the Department for Education’s focus on investing in and expanding the specialist workforce, which will be essential to the long-term success of these reforms. However, workforce capacity challenges are being experienced by families and services now, and addressing these pressures at pace will be critical if the programme is to deliver meaningful and consistent improvements for children, young people and families. NNPCF will continue to work with government and wider stakeholders to ensure that workforce capacity, recruitment and retention remain a key focus as the programme develops. 

Alongside the full guidance, the Department for Education has also published a Parent Carer and setting Summary Guide, providing an accessible overview of the programme and what it means for families and for education settings. 

We look forward to continuing to work with government, wider stakeholders and importantly local Parent Carer Forums, to help ensure the programme delivers earlier support, greater inclusion and improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families. 

The guidance and supporting documents can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-send-reform-developing-the-experts-at-hand-offer/developing-and-delivering-the-experts-at-hand-offer-in-year-1-supporting-guidance

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) has now submitted its response to the Department for Education consultation: SEND Reform – Putting Children and Young People First.

The response reflects extensive engagement with Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) across England through our Community of Practice sessions, regional feedback, workshops, surveys throughout the consultation period.

Our response highlights key themes raised by families via their PCFs such as inclusion, accountability, co-production, workforce capacity, early support and the need for meaningful improvements for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Views and experiences of the SEND system will naturally differ, and no single response can fully reflect every individual perspective. Wider responses submitted by parent carers, children and young people, alongside those who support or represent them, are equally important, and it is vital that all voices are heard and help shape future reform.

You can read the full NNPCF response here:

Alongside the Schools White Paper and SEND Reform consultation, the Department for Education (DfE) has published a series of clear, accessible summary guides outlining the key proposals and reforms. These documents are designed to help parents, carers and professionals better understand what is being proposed — and what it could mean for children and young people with SEND.

The guides include:

• What parents of children and young people with SEND need to know
• What to expect from your child’s journey through education
• What every parent can expect from the proposed reforms
• Information for those working in early years settings
• Information for mainstream school staff and leaders
• Information for leaders of special schools, AP and specialist post-16 institutions
• Information for those working in post-16 settings
• Guidance for parents and carers of children with EHCPs
• Guidance for families with children in special schools
• Guidance for families whose children receive SEND support in mainstream schools and colleges

During the 12-week consultation period, the DfE has confirmed (in “What parents of children and young people with SEND need to know”) that discussions will continue with schools, colleges, early years settings and organisations such as the NNPCF, ensuring that families and professionals have ongoing opportunities to share their views and help shape the conversation.

Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-send-reforms-sheets

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group report, published on the same day as the SEND Reform Document, was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to examine how mainstream education in England can better support neurodivergent children and young people.

The NNPCF was one of the organisations forming part of the sector engagement.

The report identifies major barriers neurodivergent learners face and sets out four priority areas for action with nine key recommendations to transform practice, policy and culture in schools and colleges.

These priorities are:

1. Timely identification of strengths and needs: focusing on needs rather than diagnoses to get support earlier and more effectively.

2.  Workforce development: improving training so teachers and support staff understand neurodiversity and how to respond.

3. Inclusive learning environments and assessment: adapting curriculum, learning spaces and policies so neurodivergent learners can fully participate.

4. Funding, accountability and commissioning: ensuring funding reflects need, strengthening local planning and giving parents clear routes to resolution when challenges occur.

The report highlights the importance of listening to neurodivergent children, young people and their families and embedding their voices and lived experience into decision-making and school practice

Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69984861339ee33f3ad0b9d0/The_Neurodivergence_Task_and_Finish_Group_report.pdf

The NNPCF welcomed the opportunity, alongside other key stakeholders, to attend 10 Downing Street for a roundtable with the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to discuss the launch of the Schools White Paper and SEND Reform consultation.

The NNPCF, Co-Chairs, were pleased to take part in the discussion chaired by Josh MacAlister, Minister of State for Children and Families, where the Prime minister asked the Co-Chairs about working with parent carers.

The NNPCF emphasised that parents and carers are the experts in their children and young people’s lives. We highlighted the vital importance of co-production, meaningful participation and valuing lived experience, both in how education settings work with families and in strengthening partnership working across local authorities, integrated care boards, and those who commission services and provision. 

Ensuring that parent carer voices are heard and embedded at every level of the system is essential to delivering effective and sustainable SEND reform. Only by working in genuine partnership with families will trust be rebuilt.

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) welcomes the Publication of the Schools White Paper and the opportunity for families, Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) and stakeholders to comment directly on the Government’s proposals.

There is shared acknowledgement across partners and families that system change is needed to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The NNPCF recognises that some families and Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) have been understandably anxious to see the Governments published proposals for SEND Reform and what this may mean for children and young people with SEND.

The NNPCF has engaged regularly with Department for Education, NHS England and wider stakeholders through the SEND Development Group, with senior civil servants’, roundtable events and the national engagement events, as well as our own dedicated engagement sessions with the Secretary of State and Ministers.

The NNPCF has represented the ‘lived experience’ of parent carers in our forums, alongside other stakeholders who have represented their own views. Over the coming weeks, the NNPCF will be engaging with PCFs to gather views, listen to feedback, and collate a collective response to the consultation on behalf of the NNPCF and we hope the process leads to positive change so families can feel confident in the reforms.

What is a White Paper?

A White Paper is not a law. It is a document that sets out the Government’s ideas and proposals for changes they would like to make.

What happens next?

1. Consultation: The Government has asked for views.
    This is where organisations like the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), and PCFs families like you can share feedback over the next 12 weeks.
2. Review and changes: The Government will consider the feedback and then may revise their proposals.
3. New laws: If changes to the law are required, which we suspect their will be, the Government must introduce a Bill to Parliament.
4. Parliamentary process: The Bill is debated and examined by Members of Parliament and the House of Lords, and amendments can be made.
5. Becoming law: If both Houses agree, the Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament.
   

Some proposals in a White Paper do not require new legislation and may instead be introduced through changes to policy or statutory guidance.

SEND reform: putting children and young people first – GOV.UK