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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

The government have announced a 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child. Schools are to be inclusive by design, with dedicated ‘inclusion bases’ and new guidance on adaptations to improve inclusivity and accessibility. 

The NNPCF is encouraged by the recognition that the physical environment can have a significant positive impact on the wellbeing and engagement of pupils with SEND. We also support the commitment to dedicated objectives that ensure school buildings are safe, suitable, sustainable, and of sufficient size to improve outcomes. 

The NNPCF endorse the vision of a school system that is inclusive and meets the needs of all learners, including those with SEND and vulnerable children and agree that it is essential that there is sufficient space in schools, where needed, to support mainstream pupils, learners with SEND, and those in early years settings. 

This announcement is part of the drive to make schools more inclusive by design, the government expects that every secondary school will, in time, have an “inclusion base”.  An inclusion base is the term for a dedicated safe space away from busy classrooms where pupils can access targeted support that bridges the gap between mainstream and specialist provision. 

The NNPCF are part of the SEND Development Group, chaired by Minister Gould, and this week was also attended by Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson.  During these meetings, the NNPCF continue to raise, that buildings and space alone are not enough. New building and bespoke spaces, such as inclusion bases must be matched by sufficient numbers of skilled teachers and teaching assistants, as well as timely access to therapists and specialist support within mainstream settings. Without the right workforce and expertise, this investment will not deliver the meaningful improvements children and young people with SEND need. 

The NNPCF also would also like there to be clear, practical guidance for inclusion bases within mainstream schools ensuring that all inclusion bases have access to qualified and trained teachers, are prevented from using these specialist spaces from being behaviour management units, and children and young people are effectively supported to remain fully included in their school community. 

Link to DfE Press Release:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10-year-plan-to-revitalise-schools-and-colleges-for-every-child 

What has been announced: 

The Government has set out how it intends to address councils accumulated SEND deficits, confirming it will cover 90% of these shortfalls. A grant will be provided in Autumn 2026 to enable councils to clear their deficits, subject to each local authority submitting a local SEND reform plan and securing approval from the Department for Education (DfE). 

What is the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)? 

The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is the main government funding for schools and SEND support. It includes the High Needs Block, which funds provision for children and young people with higher levels of SEND, including specialist placements, therapies and other high-cost support. 

In many areas, the cost of supporting children and young people with SEND, particularly those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), has exceeded the funding available. This has led to significant accumulated DSG deficits in council budgets. 

What will happen now 

As part of wider SEND reform: 

• Councils with a DSG deficit can apply for a High Needs Stability Grant to cover 90% of their eligible deficit. 

• The grant will be paid as a Section 31 grant in Autumn 2026, subject to DfE approval of a local SEND reform plan. 

• The reform plan must be developed in partnership with schools, health services, early years and post-16 providers. 

• The grant can only be used to reduce the deficit recorded in council accounts by 31 March 2026. It cannot be used for other purposes. 

• If conditions are not met, future funding may be reduced or withheld. 

The NNPCF suggests that this announcement recognises that previous funding arrangements have not been sufficient to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. It is now essential that future funding settlements are sustainable and properly resourced, so local authorities can not only meet their statutory duties but also improve outcomes. Children and young people with SEND must have their needs properly met and be supported to thrive alongside their peers. 

What should Parent Carer Forums know? 

In December, the DfE and NHS wrote to Chief Executives of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities asking them to develop a local SEND reform plan. Many Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) are already working with their local area partnerships to support this process. 

The Partnership Maturity Assessment Tool and guidance ask local areas to assess their current practice against a maturity scale. Pillar One of this framework focuses on co-production with parents, carers, children and young people. Parent Carer Forums are referenced throughout this pillar, and co-production should be embedded throughout the development of the reform plan. 

Parent Carer Forums should be actively engaged with their local area partnerships in shaping and influencing these plans. 

Link to DfE Press Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2026-2027-to-2028-2029#support-for-local-authorities-for-dedicated-schools-grant-deficits 

Link to Explanatory note on the government’s approach Dedicated Schools Grant deficits https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-note-on-the-governments-approach-to-dedicated-schools-grant-deficits/explanatory-note-on-the-governments-approach-dedicated-schools-grant-deficits 

What has been announced: 

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a £200 million landmark training programme to help all nursery, school and college staff better support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It’s described as the most ambitious national SEND training offer ever in the English education system. 

Why this matters: 

• The aim is to improve teachers’ confidence and skill in adapting teaching so pupils with different needs can succeed.  

• Training will cover things like supporting visual impairments, speech and language needs and using assistive technology (e.g., speech-to-text tools). 

• The government says this responds directly to parent and educator feedback that existing SEND training has been inconsistent 

Who will get the training 

• Every teacher and education staff member in England in nurseries, schools and colleges is expected to have access to these courses.  
   

• The SEND Code of Practice will be updated so that all settings are expected to provide SEND and inclusion training to their staff 

This training is part of wider SEND reforms and investments (including more specialist places and staffing).  

Whilst the NNPCF welcomes this investment in SEND training, we believe training on its own is not enough. High-quality professional development must sit alongside access to specialist support, such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and other experts, so that SENCOs, teachers and teaching assistants can access timely advice and guidance to deliver effective support in the classroom. 

NNPCF remains concerned about the number of teachers leaving the profession. To make a meaningful difference for children and young people with SEND, we need a workforce that feels valued, supported and equipped to meet the needs of their school community. Sustainable improvement will require not only training, but the right staffing, specialist input and a positive culture change in some schools, to ensure that every child and young person can fully access inclusive practice. 

Link to DfE Press Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-landmark-send-teacher-training-programme