Special Educational Needs

Department for Education written question – answered am ar 31 Gorffennaf 2024.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Clive Lewis Clive Lewis Llafur, Norwich South

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Safety Valve intervention programme on the provision of SEND services by local authorities.

Photo of Clive Lewis Clive Lewis Llafur, Norwich South

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review Safety Valve agreements with local authorities.

Photo of Clive Lewis Clive Lewis Llafur, Norwich South

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish any data it holds on the potential impact of the Safety Valve agreement on the provision of special educational needs support in Norfolk.

Photo of Clive Lewis Clive Lewis Llafur, Norwich South

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Safety Valve agreements on the delivery of local authorities' statutory obligations to children and young people with SEND.

Photo of Catherine McKinnell Catherine McKinnell Minister of State (Education)

Local authorities high needs budgets are under significant pressure, and the department is considering what support and reforms are needed to secure better outcomes and experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and to secure local authorities financial sustainability.

The Safety Valve programme is intended to help local authorities provide an improved SEND service by maximising the impact of their high needs budget and promoting a more stable and effective system for children and young people with SEND. Safety Valve agreements have been established only where both the local authority and the department agreed that the proposals would improve services for children and young people with SEND.

Safety Valve agreements are not intended to release local authorities from their obligations to fulfil their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND, and the department would not enter into an agreement with a local authority if it compromised their ability to meet these obligations. The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through its monitoring process and provides support and intervention if they go off track. The future use of Safety Valve agreements is also under review. The department does not hold any specific data on the potential impact of Norfolk’s Safety Valve agreement.

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