For too long, many families of children with SEND have been left to cope on their own. That ends now. - Amanda Hack Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire
Amanda Hack says:
‘One of the strongest messages from my roundtables with parents and teachers was the sheer lack of local support. This new dedicated SEND provision in our Best Start Family Hubs across Ashby, Measham, Coalville, Moira and Castle Donington, will make a genuine difference to families’ lives, giving parents access to the help they need right on their doorstep.’
- Best Start Family Hubs to act as one-stop-shop for parents with SEND professionals and services like toddler groups that support speech and language development confirmed for all 1,000 hubs.
- Seven in ten new hubs to be in hardest-hit communities as government demands local councils prioritise areas facing biggest access barriers to ensure access for all new parents.
- New guidance sets out how joined up services across health, education and wellbeing will build on the legacy of Sure Start as the government drives forward national renewal ahead of its Child Poverty Strategy.
Families of children with SEND will soon benefit from earlier, faster support, as the government confirms that new community-based early intervention services will begin rolling out in every Best Start Family Hub from April. Councils will be required to appoint a newly created dedicated SEND practitioner in each hub, providing direct, family-facing support that has been lacking for far too long.
The government inherited a SEND system in crisis, and research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that when early help is absent, more children later require higher-level SEND support.
To break this worrying pattern, by 2028 Best Start Family Hubs will operate as a one-stop shop for the whole community, offering parents a broad range of support, including a suite of evidence-based interventions, from child-centred speech and language sessions for toddlers to specialist parent–and–baby groups.
Giving every child the best start in life means revitalising family support so that parents can rely on it once again - Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education
Bridget Phillipson continues:
‘Nowhere is that support more important than for families of children with SEND, where early, expert help can make all the difference not only for parents, but for children’s life chances.
And now, local councils will need to work with us to put Best Start Family Hubs in the heart of communities, in service of the families who need them most, and on the frontline of our battle to break the link between background and success.”
Building on conversations to date, Labour has launched a public engagement campaign, spanning every region of the country, putting families at the heart of its plans to reform the SEND system.
Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould MP, is hosting nine face-to-face events, run in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children, and five online events covering the department’s five principles of reform. This will provide more than 100,000 opportunities for parents, families and the sector to share their views – opening up a direct line to the people who know the system best.