Research into proposed reforms for
young people with special educational needs and
disabilities
The 2011 Green Paper on special educational
needs and disability makes wide ranging proposals to improve
services and outcomes for young people and parents. The National
Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) conducted 3 pieces of
research for the Local Government Group on provision for young
people with special educational needs (SEN) and learners with
learning difficulties and disabilities (LLDD). The projects focused
on:
transition of young people with SEN/LLDD to adult life and
services;
local authority perceptions of how young people and their families
will be affected by the Green Paper proposals;
and parents’
and young people’s views on residential education.
Key findings from all three projects
- Parents and professionals largely welcomed the Green Paper’s
proposals, especially on early identification, a single assessment
process and greater parental engagement. But there were some
concerns about specific aspects of the suggested reforms
(especially the single category of SEN, the exercise of parental
choice of school, and accountability for services provided by the
voluntary and community sector)
- Certain aspects of the current system are in urgent need of
improvement. For example, the residential placement process can be
stressful for parents, and young people with SEN/LLDD need better
support for transition to adult life
- There is a clear need for service and system improvement to
provide appropriate and timely support for young people with
SEN/LLDD and their families, while recognising the challenge of
providing excellent services within limited resources.
Further information is available from
The National Foundation for Educational Research
website.