Information for children and young people
September 2014 saw the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014 which changed the way children and young people, aged 0 to 25 years, with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities are supported.
This fact sheet for parents, produced by Contact a Family, summarises the legislation and what the SEND reforms mean.
Introduction to the Children and Families Act 2014
Through the Children and Families Act 2014, Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans where introduced to replace statements of special educational need. Like the statement, the EHC plan is a legal document, specifying a child or young person’s special educational needs, the special educational provision they will get, and the nursery, school or further education college they will attend. The EHC plan could begin at birth and continue until a young person is 25, if they still need the extra support to complete their education or training.
The Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) have produced a checklist outlining what legally must be included as a minimum in any Education Health and Care Plan issued by a Local Authority.
Young people with complex health needs who are eligible for NHS Continuing Care and children in receipt of continuing care have the ‘right to have’ a personal health budget.
Process for assessing, deciding and agreeing continuing care for children with complex health needs.
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) have a helpful website with a focus on advising young people about their rights in relation to health care, by the.
The Care Act 2014 introduced a new duty on local authorities to carry out Child’s Needs Assessments (CNA) for young people who are likely to have needs for care and support after they reach 18. The purpose of a CNA is to determine what adult social care a young person might be eligible for once they reach 18 so they can make informed choices about their future. Young people or their parents can request a CNA at any time prior to a young person’s 18th birthday whether or not they have an EHC plan.
The Care Act – Transition from child to adulthood
Other useful links
A range of tools and resources for preparing for adulthood by the National Development Team for Inclusion including Education Health and Care planning, person centred planning, independent living and employent resources.
Preparing for adulthood tools and resources
This toolkit by Cerebra aims to support disabled people and carers, as well as their families and advisers, who are encountering difficulties with the statutory agencies in relation to the provision of health, social care and education support services. It will help to unpick these problems and develop effective strategies for resolving them.
Post-16 checklist produced by Preparing for Adulthood, a guide to what should be in place locally to ensure that young people receive the support they need to move into adulthood with good lives.
Produced by Preparing for Adulthood, this check list fact sheet gives examples and scenarios of how personal budgets can be implemented in further education colleges and post-16 provision.