School closures, staff sickness and coronavirus demand on resources
has left many councils struggling to provide support for children
and young people with special educational needs and disabilities,
the Local Government Association says today.
Councils are working hard to keep supporting children and young
people with SEND during the coronavirus crisis. The LGA said
difficulty in delivering support set out in Education, Health and
Care (ECHP) plans has led to many councils finding themselves
challenged by parents.
The Coronavirus Act allows for the temporary removal or
relaxations of statutory provisions, including those relating to
EHCPs.
The LGA said councils and their partners need greater flexibility
to meet the needs of children with EHCPs and is urging the
Department for Education to urgently set out its definition of
“reasonable endeavours” that takes account of the pressures that
councils are under in delivering support.
A collaborative effort between councils, government and parents
will ensure there is a common-sense approach to meeting the needs
of special needs children during the coronavirus crisis. This may
mean a child or young person’s provision may differ temporarily
from what is set out in their EHCP.
Cllr , Chair of the LGA’s
Children and Young People Board, said:
“In these difficult times, councils and their partners are trying
to do all they can to support children with special educational
needs and their families.
“With stretched resources and competing demands during the
coronavirus crisis, this has become increasingly challenging and
has made current statutory timeframes unrealistic to meet.
“It is vital that the Government urgently sets out the
flexibility it intends to give councils so they can try and
ensure all those on EHCPs continue to receive the best possible
support.”
