PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Special Educational Needs: Childcare (4 October 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of SEND childcare requirements on parents in full employment; and what steps she plans to take to help support these parents.

Asked by:
James Naish (Labour)

Every child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) should be able to access high quality early years provision, with a workforce who can nurture a child’s needs, recognise their strengths and build effective working relationships with parents to ensure all children are safe, cared for and able to learn.

All three and four year olds are entitled to 15 hours per week of funded childcare and early education for 38 weeks of the year, regardless of the income or working status of their parent or carer. This is termed the ‘universal entitlement’.

Two year olds can get free childcare if they have an education, health and care plan, or are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare extends to children with SEND. The SEND Code of Practice and Equality Act 2010 place certain requirements on providers, holding both local authorities and providers to account.

Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 sets out the responsibilities for local authorities to ensure that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.

The local authority statutory guidance on Early Education and Childcare sets out a clear requirement that local authorities must report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, including for children with SEND and make this report available and accessible to parents.

Departmental officials have regular meetings with each local authority in England about the sufficiency of their early education and childcare offer and any issues they are facing. This includes one-to-one support through our childcare delivery support contractor, Childcare Works, where appropriate. Childcare Works, is contracted to help local authorities and providers scale up delivery of the expanded early education entitlements and to meet their childcare sufficiency duty. Their activity includes support for local authorities to deliver for children with SEND, for example via national or regional events and supportive materials for use by both local authorities and providers.

Answered by:
Catherine McKinnell (Labour)
14 October 2024