Voluntary and community organisations to deliver reforms

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather has announced contracts involving voluntary and community organisations will deliver support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities.

The successful contractors will provide knowledge and support on the delivery and improvement of local services and help the 20 SEN Green Paper pathfinder areas test some of the Government’s key reforms.

The Department for Education is providing funding of around £6 million a year for two years to deliver the support.

Organisations to deliver on this include the Council for Disabled Children and I CAN, the children’s communication charity.

The organisations will work to support the delivery of short breaks, provide greater information and help to parents, and help disabled young people and those with SEN prepare for employment, training and independent living after they leave school.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

We’re proposing some of the biggest reforms to special educational needs and to help disabled children and we’re testing out the best ways of doing this over the next year. But it’s important that children, young people and their families get help and support now, from organisations they trust.

That’s why we’re funding and extending programmes that have been successful so far and that parents have told us they value – like short breaks and helping young people make the often difficult transition from school to employment or training.

Read more about the organisations involved.

Read the SEN Green paper