Policy Hub

Welcome to the nasen Policy Hub!

We hope you’ll find this a useful page for keeping up to date with the latest news on government policy and legislation relating to SEND.

You’ll find our organisational responses to consultations that impact the learning experiences of children and young people with SEND, as well as quick-read summaries and hints for making your individual responses as easy as possible.

We hope our condensed guides to some of the latest government strategy and legislation will save time for busy practitioners.

As ever, we love to hear your thoughts, so please let us know if you’ve found this page helpful or tell us what you’d like to see more of!

Group of professionals sat at a table having a discussion, there is water and note pads on the table with one person taking down notes.
Green background with white text that reads 'SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan March 2023' alongside nasen logo which is white text that reads nasen

SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan

Publication of the plan is the culmination of the government’s consultation around proposals laid out in the SEND and Alternative Provision green paper: Right Support, Right Place, Right Time

Here, you can read nasen’s response to the plan, along with condensed guides to walk you through the main implications for you in your respective roles.

three young children playing with bubbles outside on grass

Read our response

nasen Responds to the SEND and AP Improvement Plan - FINAL

View our resources

DfE Resources

The following is available on GOV.UK:

SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan PDF/A and print ready version

  • SEND and AP roadmap setting out the actions government will take to improve the SEND and AP system
  • British Sign Language (BSL) video of the improvement plan executive summary
  • Easy-Read version of the improvement plan
  • SEND Review Green Paper consultation analysis report

A long-form animated video explainer of the improvement plan is available to share with your audiences.

Department of education building
Header [green background with white text that reads 'Down's Syndrome Act 2022 November 2022']

Down’s Syndrome Act 2022 – Call for Evidence

The Down Syndrome Act 2022 became law in April. Its aim is to improve access to services and to improve the quality of life for people with Down’s syndrome. It aims to ensure that health, social care, education and other local authority services such as housing take account of the specific needs of people with Down’s syndrome when commissioning or providing services.

The Act requires the Secretary of State to publish legally binding guidance for relevant authorities to use when providing certain core services. This call for evidence asks the public – including education professionals – a range of questions to help develop the guidance.

The Down Syndrome Act guidance will need to work within the wider Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision reforms (see details of the SEND Review consultation below). In light of this earlier consultation, there are no detailed questions about education in this call for evidence, however, respondents are invited to provide examples of good practice they may have experienced.

You can find out more – and register for online consultation sessions – at the Down’s Syndrome Association.
 

three young children playing with bubbles outside on grass
Header [green background with white text that reads 'Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans August 2022]

Reviews of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans: proposed timescales

This government consultation dealt with four proposed changes to the EHC plan process and timescales. 

We had plenty of discussion at nasen around the proposals before submitting our organisational response in early August, and our CEO, Annamarie Hassall, MBE, captured her thoughts on the subject in the blog below. 

teacher with children at table
Header [green background with white text that reads 'SEND Review July 2022']

SEND Review: Right support, Right place, Right time

The SEND and alternative provision (AP) green paper set out the government’s proposals for a system that offers children and young people access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives.

Thank you to everyone who shared their views and experiences through our focus groups and surveys, helping us ensure that our organisational response represented the voice of our membership.

You can re-visit documents - including a summary of the response we submitted - below.

Our CEO, Annamarie Hassall, MBE was also a guest on the Inside Your Ed podcast recently, where she discussed her thoughts and hopes around the SEND Review.

Useful documents