SEND Reform: What Parent Carers Need to Know

The Government has proposed nationwide changes to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. This blog covers:

• Where we are now

• What happens next?

• What is being proposed?

• How can I share my views?

• Where can I find full details on SEND Reform?

Where we are now

The recent SEND White Paper sets out Government proposals for changes they would like to make.

• These proposals are NOT YET LAW.

• First, there is a 12-week consultation period.

• This is an opportunity for parent carers and other stakeholders to comment directly on the Government's proposals.

What happens next?

• Consultation Period. We are currently in the 12-week consultation period, which closes 18 May. The Government has asked for views on their SEND proposals. *This is a critical time for parent carers like you to share feedback.

• Review and possible changes. After the consultation period ends, the Government will consider feedback received and may revise their SEND proposals.

• New laws introduced. If legal changes are required after the review, which many expect there will be, the Government must introduce a Bill to Parliament.

• Parliamentary process. The Bill introduced to Parliament will be debated and examined by MPs and the House of Lords, and amendments can be made.

• Becoming law. If both Houses agree, the Bill will receive Royal Assent and become an Act of Parliament. Some proposals in a White Paper do not need new laws and could instead be introduced through changes to policy or statutory guidance.

What is being proposed?

The points below summarise the big picture of what is being proposed:

• Specialist SEND support in every area. Schools could access specialists through a new “Experts at Hand” service, even without an EHCP. These specialists include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists.

• More support inside mainstream schools. There will be new funding aimed at earlier intervention for SEND, small-group support, and adapting teaching sooner when needs first appear.

• Training for all teachers. A new expectation is that all teachers will be trained to support children with additional needs, and not just SEN staff.

• More specialist places and inclusion bases. Investment to increase local SEND provision so more children can attend schools closer to home.

• Community-based family support. Local Family Hubs would include SEND outreach support to help families earlier.

How can I share my views?

This is NATIONAL policy that will apply across England. By sharing your views with the Government, you will help ensure that the experiences of Oxfordshire families are represented. To respond individually to the consultation:

• Complete the online consultation survey. *This survey is 39 questions long, with space to write out free text comments.

• Email your comments and consultation feedback: SENDreform.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk 

• Send your comments and consultation feedback by post: 

SENDAP Reform

Sanctuary Buildings

Great Smith Street

London

SW1P 3BT

Rest assured that as a PCF we are also working on next steps with the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF). We are working on how to support parents to understand the proposed reforms and share their views. OxPCF will submit our gathered feedback via NNPCF to the consultation as Oxfordshire views. We will share more information soon on how to share your SEND Reform feedback through us.

You can read more about the consultation process on the Government's website.

Where can I find full details on SEND Reform?

We know the amount of information in the Government’s white paper might feel overwhelming. In addition, the consultation questions asked are aimed at all types of respondents, not just parent carers but school professionals, specialists, local area officers and more. Some questions may be difficult to respond to as a parent.

Because of this, the Department for Education (DfE) has prepared more accessible versions of the white paper, as well as versions that summarise specific parts of SEND reform that apply to different parent carer situations. Below are links to some of these versions. All formats of the white paper can be found on the consultation website.

SEND Reform: Putting children and young people first

• Full white paper (PDF)

• Easy read version (PDF)

• BSL version (YouTube Video)

White papers on specific situations

If you are a:

• parent carer of a child with SEND (PDF)

What to expect from:

• your child’s journey through education (PDF)

• the DfE’s SEND reforms (PDF)

If you have:

• a child with an EHCP (PDF)

• a child in a special school (PDF)

• a child receiving SEND support in a mainstream school or college (PDF)

Additional versions

You can also order the following versions by emailing your request to:  SENDreform.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk.

• a braille version in the form of a .dxb file if you have .dxb software or a hard copy if you do not have .dxb software

• a large print 20-point version

We hope the information we have provided here is useful to you as you process and consider the Government’s SEND reform proposals. We will continue to update this blog as we have new information.

Page last updated 16 March 2026