Will Quince announces nasen and Microlink training partnership

Will Quince, Children’s Minister, has spoken to the National Network of Parent Carer Forums and has extended his thanks for the work done during  the pandemic. He was clear that he will: 

pledge to listen carefully to the lived experience of parents, that I will always speak to you straight, and that I will put you and your children first as we forge a new path forward. 

He accepted that the pandemic intensified existing issues within the area of SEND and that access to support and therapies was, and remains, challenging. He is also aware of the importance of working with education staff to look at how best to support pupils with SEND both in school and when working remotely. To that end he has announced that nasen will be working alongside MicroLink to pilot a training program in January to increase school staff confidence and capability in using assistive technology to support pupils. 

He re-confirmed that the SEND review will be published as a public consultation within the first 3 months of 2022. He goes on to say:

It is clear we need to get mainstream provision right so that needs are identified and met early and effectively across mainstream settings – whether in early years, schools or further education. We must reduce inconsistency of practice and end the postcode lottery.