Education Minister has today published the Special
Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Agenda and five-year Delivery
Plan.
The publications set out an ambitious programme of reform of
services and provision to support children and young people with
special educational needs. This follows the Minister's recent
announcement in the Assembly about the Reform programme.
said: “This is the most
ambitious programme of SEN reform in a generation. The SEN Reform
Agenda and five-year Delivery Plan set out the actions that are
needed to ensure that children and young people with SEN can
benefit from greater inclusion and receive the right support from
the right people at the right time and in the right
place.
“They have been developed with input from parents,
practitioners and academics and engagement will continue as we
move into implementation.”
Acknowledging the urgency of change within the programme, continued: “We know that
our children cannot wait, and that change is needed now. With
that in mind, the Delivery Plan sets out short-term actions which
are intended to rebuild confidence and trust with parents, build
capability across the workforce, improve the approach to
placements, focus on child centred communications and a more
child centred approach to support.
“SEN transformation is a key priority for the Executive.
It is an investment not only for education but for our society
and delivering on the agenda will require sustained funding. I am
committed to driving forward this agenda during this
mandate.”
The Minister concluded: “I want to ensure that the
direction I am taking will deliver better outcomes for children
and young people with SEN. The SEN Reform Agenda will therefore
be supported by a clear, measurable and co-designed outcomes
framework which will allow my department to systematically
monitor any changes being made across the system.”
The SEN Reform Agenda and five-year Delivery Plan can be accessed
on the DE Website at: www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/sen-reform-agenda
Notes to editors:
- The Minister announced his programme for reforming the
provision of support for children with SEN in the Assembly on 13
January 2025.
