The following information relates to England only. It does not apply to Wales.
In England, the Prime Minister has announced that schools, colleges and nurseries are currently on track to reopen for some year groups on 1 June 2020. However, no firm decision has been made on this yet. The Department for Education has published new guidance for supporting children and young people with special education needs and disabilities to prepare for the return to education.
The new guidance can be accessed here.
From 1st May 2020, a modification to the law means that local authorities and NHS bodies only have to show that they have used ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure any provision set out in an EHC Plan. Whilst this modification is currently only in place until 31st May 2020, the Secretary of State for Education can choose to extend this. If this happens, there is the worry that public bodies will take advantage of the downgrade in the law meaning that children and young people could be left without the support they need.
Please get in touch with our LEaP team by filling out our online request form if you encounter any difficulties in accessing support for your child. While we do not generally deal with educational issues, we will be able to point you in the direction of an organisation that can help.
