Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities will be able to access early support in their local communities through revamped versions of Sure Start centres
Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities will be able to access early support in their local communities through revamped versions of Sure Start centres.
Councils have been told to recruit a new dedicated SEND practitioner in every Best Start Family Hub to provide direct, family-facing support.
Parents would then be offered a variety of early interventions, from child-focused speech and language sessions for toddlers to specialist parent and baby groups.
Ministers confirmed the 1,000 hubs – which are inspired by Sir Tony Blair’s Sure Start centres – will be rolled out from April, with a focus on being in the most disadvantaged areas.
Seven in ten new hubs are expected to be in the 30% hardest-hit communities across the country, with local councils told to prioritise areas facing the biggest access to barriers.
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For families of kids with SEND, professionals are expected to help with early practical advice so parents can manage everyday challenges before they escalate or become medicalised. Families will be connected to further support if they need it.
Some £500million has been invested in the Best Start Family Hub scheme. Funding for extra SEND provision – which has not yet been confirmed – will be in addition to this.
A study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies earlier this year found kids who had access to Sir Tony’s Sure Start centres were more likely to have support at age five – but then were less likely to need support aged seven to 16. The think tank said early identification of kids’ extra needs ultimately reduced their need for high-level support later in childhood.
Long-awaited plans to overhaul the in-crisis SEND system were delayed in October. The schools white paper will now be released early next year to give ministers more time to engage with parents over what are expected to be landmark reforms.
Parents, teachers and councils have long been calling out for urgent reform for a system failing to support children in need.
Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said: “Giving every child the best start in life means revitalising family support so that parents can rely on it once again.
“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.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We warmly welcome the commitment to providing this vital support with SEND as part of the roll-out of family hubs.
“Support services and Sure Start centres were decimated over the last decade and we have heard of more children starting school with additional needs in recent years, with increasing reports of speech and language difficulties. Early intervention is not just good for children and families – it is essential for our education system.”