Special education services

Tender description

It is critical to the success of the new system of support for children and young people with SEND that they, and their parents, have access to high quality, accurate information and impartial advice and support to enable them to participate effectively in decisions that affect them. This should best ensure that children and young people with SEND receive the right support at the right time, which improves their education and life outcomes. Effective participation by families is a fundamental principle of the SEND reforms. The Government is now seeking applications for a new contract in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 to ensure that, in every local authority area, children and young people with SEND and their families have access to impartial information, advice and support covering SEND issues – including through a dedicated Freephone service. On 1 September 2014, Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 took effect; offering simpler, improved and more consistent help for children and young people in England with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The new system: - Requires better co-operation between councils and health services to make sure that services for children and young people with SEN and disabilities are jointly planned and commissioned; - Gives parents and young people with EHC plan the offer of a personal budget; and. - Has introduced a legal right for children and young people with an EHC plan to express a preference for state academies, free schools and further education colleges. It is critical to the success of the new system of support for children and young people with SEND that they, and their parents, have access to high quality, accurate information and impartial advice and support to enable them to participate effectively in decisions that affect them. This should best ensure that children and young people with SEND receive the right support at the right time, which improves their education and life outcomes. Effective participation by families is a fundamental principle of the SEND reforms. The Government is now seeking applications for a new contract in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 to ensure that, in every local authority area, children and young people with SEND and their families have access to impartial information, advice and support covering SEND issues – including through a dedicated Freephone service.