Families across England who have children with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will soon receive
further support with more short breaks, supported internship
opportunities and better support for those with Down syndrome,
the Department for Education has announced today.
The short breaks innovation programme – which provides a range of
unforgettable activities for children with SEND, to help improve
their health, education and wellbeing outcomes – will be extended
to a further seven local authorities.
Backed by £30 million, activities include cooking classes,
theatre trips and craft workshops, providing children with SEND
an opportunity to develop social skills and friendships, whilst
offering parents a break from caring responsibilities.
Alongside the short breaks programme, children and young people
are being supported to reach their full potential with a pilot
introduced to test widening eligibility of the supported
internships programme.
The work-based study programme for young people aged 16 to 24 is
currently for those who have Education, Health and Care Plans
(EHCP), and aims to provide support during the transition from
education into paid employment. Twelve local authorities are
taking part in the pilot of the programme, supporting those who
do not have an EHCP but require extra support to gain employment.
Going even further, we will also be collecting new data about the
numbers of children with Down syndrome and where they are
educated through changes to the School Census. This helps meet
our commitment to improving the life outcomes and opportunities
for people with Down syndrome, to identify good practice and
shape long term services. This follows on from the Down Syndrome
Act 2022 aiming to raise the understanding and awareness of the
specific needs of people with Down syndrome.
Today’s announcements build on wider government reform through
the SEND and AP Improvement Plan which outlines plans to reform
the system, ensuring every child has access to a high-quality,
fulfilling education. The SEND system is underpinned by
investment in the high need budget, which will have risen by over
60% since 2019-20 to over £10.5 billion in 2024-25.
Children and Families Minister said:
We are going further than ever to reform the special educational
needs and disabilities system through the SEND and AP Improvement
Plan, addressing a range of issues that families come up against.
Today we’re building on that work to strengthen outcomes for
young people with SEND, from enhanced data gathering to shape
future services and short breaks, to helping young people
transition from education to employment to ensure they have the
best life chances.
The Short Breaks Innovation Fund is a £30 million programme
aiming to improve support services for children with SEND and
their families, by funding local authorities to establish
innovative projects to address gaps in current short break
services.
Local authorities are provided with up to £1.5 million each to
deliver and fund new activities and experiences for children and
young people with SEND, which would otherwise be inaccessible.
The first and second years of funding have helped pilot new
approaches to build a body of evidence to inform practice
nationally.
The supported internships pilot builds on our £18 million
investment in supported internships, which aims to develop
capacity in the system to double the number of supported
internships per year to 4,500 by 2025.
