‘Forgotten. Left Behind. Overlooked.’ APPG report on experiences of young people with SEND
The All Party Parliamentary group for SEND have issued their report into the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on educational transitions for young people with SEND. The group collated input from oral evidence meetings and written evidence around young people’s mental health and wellbeing and learning. It is quite challenging reading and has shone a spotlight on some of the inequalities within the education system and how Covid-19 amplified these and left young people with SEND feeling like an ‘afterthought’.
The key findings are:
- DfE should ensure that any guidance for schools should fully recognise the complex range of needs and challenges across the SEND sector
- A need for a parliamentary review to assess the impact upon young people with SEND to ensure support reaches the most vulnerable
- New and additional funding should be made available to aid Covid-19 recovery for young people with SEND
- Specific funding for Educational, Health and Care (EHC) plans to address the backlog
- A review of EHC plans to simplify the process of application and assessment
- Urgent funding to support mental health of young people with SEND
- High-Needs funding to be reviewed
- The SEND review should be published
- Support for young people with SEND must be a feature for all future pandemic planning
