In April 2018, @CommonsEd launched an inquiry into the state of SEND in England.

The Education Committee published their inquiry report 9 months ago. Today, the government have responded to it.

So what have they said? [Long thread inbound] https://twitter.com/CommonsEd/status/1286249291913273344

I'm going to summarise what the government response says, in as neutral a fashion as I can, with as few swear-words as I can. You can find the full response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/2067/documents/19714/default/

[Anything in square brackets or gif form is additional context that I've thrown in] /2

The DfE agree with the ESC that the 2014 SEND reforms were the right ones. They don't agree with all the Committee's findings, but "readily acknowledge" that the SEND system must improve.

They point to "lots of good practice around the country" which everyone can build on 3/

The DfE then explain what they're doing to "drive up the quality of support":

- More money for both school & high-needs budgets

- A major review of the SEND system, launched last September, [which has yet to be published]

4/

The response says that the SEND Review team are "actively considering" the inquiry report. They say many of the Ed Committee's recommendations "fall within the remit of" the SEND Review,

[a form of words which stops well short of an actual response to these recommendations] 5/

You'll be as ecstatic as I am to hear the DfE say they aren't waiting on the outcome of their own SEND review to take action.

They list several things they're doing right now to improve the system, on top of the extra £...

6/

Inspections: the DfE say that they have "strengthened the approach" that they & NHS England take in responding to inspection findings.

[Serious weaknesses have been identified in 60 of 117 local area SEND inspections. To date, DfE have intervened just twice]

7/

Better support to LAs: DfE have expanded their network of SEND advisers to "respond more pro-actively & effectively where improvement is needed"

[These advisers? Almost all ex-LA SEND managers, many with appalling home records. The network should be replaced, not expanded] 8/

Co-production: Money to support advice & support services, money to support Parent Carer Forums

[This isn't new, or in any way a response to the SEND inquiry - the contracts were rolled out / extended in 2018, & form part of the problematic picture the ESC painted]

9/

A new[ish] SEND System Leadership Board, to improve joint working

[This body is almost entirely opaque. No public minutes, no evidence of decisions, minimal parental involvement. The North Korean Politburo publishes more information than the SEND System Leadership Board]

10/

COVID-19 has got in the way, so DfE will issue a fuller, updated response later.

In the meantime, DfE have put in place a number of things to "support" families during the pandemic, including *checks notes* temporarily relaxing their legal rights

11/

Anyway... ...in its SEND inquiry report, the Education Committee made 38 specific recommendations.

The government addresses some of these recommendations, but very frequently, the answer is 'we'll get back to you when we've done the SEND Review'

12/

Some highlights here:

The Committee warned DfE off any fundamental changes to SEND law, & warned them off weakening children's rights.

DfE: Review is underway: "we do not believe it would be right to rule out options yet"

[Moscow nuclear bunker klaxon, right there]

13/

ESC: Funding a problem, but accountability, culture & oversight need fixing too

DfE: We don't accept this. Wait for the SEND Review, & the findings of a SEND value-for-money study that we announced 18 months ago but haven't commissioned yet

14/

ESC: No-one appears to be taking any action to hold anyone to account

DfE: We support & challenge LAs, including their use of funding. The inspection & revisit programme is robust enough. We hold local areas to account if they fail inspections & revisits

[citation needed]

15/

ESC: You need to beef up the powers of @LGOmbudsman , because there's a gaping accountability hole here at school level:

DfE: Thanks for your interest. We'll talk to LGSCO "to ensure complaints are handled appropriately"

16/

ESC: You need to set up a reporting & accountability mechanism for SEND non-compliance, so parents don't have to exhaust themselves securing basic rights.

DfE: Existing measures & mechanisms do this job well enough already.

[starts reaching for the glue]

17/

ESC: You need to sort the gap between need & available provision, & do something about school SEND "notional budgets"

DfE: Wait for our Review, which started a mere 10 months ago, and all will become clear

18/

ESC: Ofsted, you aren't checking well enough to ensure that individual schools are delivering on SEND. You need clear judgements on SEND in your reports

Ofsted: Fam, our 2019 Education Inspection Framework has SEND covered [dodges question on clear judgements]

19/

ESC: Within 6 months of this report, you need to update guidance on SENCO qualifications:

DfE: Seven paragraphs of 'no, we don't'

20/

ESC: You need to map 'cold spots' where therapy provision is insufficient, publish your findings, & develop a strategy to address the gaps

DfE: The SEND Review is sort-of looking at this. Inspections help us understand [rest of recommendation ignored]

21/

ESC: The bureaucracy parents wade through is like treacle. This is both a local & a systemic problem. Sort it, preferably using a neutral sherpa to guide parents through the system.

DfE: Not needed. All is fine, the mechanisms to make things work well are already in place.

22/

ESC: LAs need the power to create maintained mainstream & special schools to address SEND provision shortages

DfE: No, existing system is fine. The free school programme can and will meet need.

23/

ESC: Provision for young adults is inadequate. Whitehall needs to review LA capacity to ensure that young people with SEND have their independent living needs met

DfE: The existing balance of duties is fine. Young people should check out the Local Offer

[cheek twitches]

24/

Sorry, I'm going to have to stop here & punch something. I might continue later

/end for now

Ok, back now. Loaded up on Bostik & UHU....

ESC: Someone, preferably the EHRC, needs to review & monitor apprenticeship participation for people with LDs & disabilities every 3 years, & make recommendations

EHRC: We'll look into it in more depth once the pandemic is done

a/

ESC: Health needs to step up. Put the DMO & DCO roles on a statutory footing, ASAP

DfE / DH: Not needed now, 80% of local areas have DMOs or DCOs in place. We'll "continue to work towards an ambition that that every local area" has one. SEND Review will be looking at it

b/

ESC: We'll say it again - health & joint working between education, health & care for SEND is dysfunctional. Whitehall needs to create a better framework to make it happen

Whitehall: We'll "carefully consider" it - SEND Review is on the case, & upgraded inspections will help

c/

ESC: LA Local Offers aren't fit for purpose. The DfE needs to check them every 2 years & make them fit for purpose

DfE: No need. Inspectors look at the Local Offer & regulate it

[Ofsted have praised 1 LO, & found weaknesses in 116. And they're inspectors, not regulators]

d/

ESC: Outcomes data from the SEND Tribunal isn't detailed enough to help LA's work out where they're going wrong, & to boost accountability. We need a yearly digest of outcomes & cases

DfE: We're talking to the Ministry of Justice about it

e/

ESC: The system is too adversarial. We all knew this was a risk going into the reforms if implementation was botched. Well, you've botched it, & everyone - including children with SEND - are paying a price. What are you going to do about it?

DfE: *gestures vaguely upthread*

f/

That's it. Bear in mind that this is something of a holding response, and more detail might emerge from DfE, particularly once the SEND Review is done.

But if I'd put the work that @CommonsEd put into this inquiry, I'd be less than satisfied

If you want to read the original 2019 inquiry report, it's at this link https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/special-educational-needs-and-disability-inquiry-17-19/

If you want a taste of some of the evidence submitted, try this thread: https://twitter.com/CaptainK77/status/1069644138096807937?s=20