Debate contribution: Special Educational Needs and Disability: Investment and Transformation

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 26 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

26 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Special Educational Needs and Disability: Investment and Transformation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4231301

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Members who tabled the motion — the Chairman of the Education Committee supported by his colleagues — who are all here and have been present throughout. It is a hugely important motion, and I am pleased that it has been brought to the Floor of the Assembly so early in the mandate. I thank all Members for their contributions. Everyone has spoken passionately. I do not think that there is anybody who has not had to assist constituents, at times in distressing circumstances, to get them the support that they need. It is important to recognise that we come to the issue with that shared experience and a shared desire to make things better, while recognising the problems. It is too easy at times to point the finger and seek people to blame. Everybody is trying to get the system to a better place. Undoubtedly, there are failings and systemic issues that need to be addressed. I think, however, that we all come to the issue from the same position of wanting to get the best possible outcomes in the challenging environment of special educational needs. I will single out the two maiden speeches, and I commend those Members for their contribution. First, I thank Mr Brooks from East Belfast for the points that he made. I have no doubt that he will represent that constituency well, and I know that he is already making an impact. I also commend Cathy Mason for her contribution and for sharing her personal story about the loss of her brother. I have no doubt that Peter would be immensely proud of his sister and of what she is doing here representing her constituents in South Down. As Education Minister, I have made transformation of the existing special educational needs system one of my key early priorities, and I reaffirm that commitment today. Colleagues around the Executive table have also emphasised the need for decisive and robust action, recognising that collective action will be required to ensure that we intervene from the early stages of a child's life and that the right pathways are in place to enable young people with SEN to have appropriate destinations after leaving school. A number of Members made that point. It is not just a matter for the Department of Education. It cuts across a number of Departments, and the Department of Health has a hugely important role to play in providing solutions to the issues. Regrettably, the data evidences the continuing gap between our children and young people with special educational needs and their peers and demands that we improve outcomes for our more vulnerable learners. The parents of children with special educational needs want the same as any parents do for their child: for their child to be happy and thriving in a school that meets their needs; to enjoy the benefits of a full and enriching curriculum; and to be supported by staff who are appropriately skilled and resourced. Those are reasonable expectations, yet, all too often, I have heard from families and spoken to teachers who have little confidence in the current system's ability to meet the needs of children. My vision for every child is that they are "happy, learning and succeeding." That vision is no different for children and young people with special educational needs and/or a disability. Over the past 12 months, the Department has been leading an end-to-end review of special educational needs in collaboration with the Education Authority. The purpose of the review is to consider special educational needs from policy intention through to operational delivery in schools and to bring forward an implementation plan to support transformation.

The intention is to design a system that consistently delivers for children and young people with special educational needs, through the provision of high-quality and cost-effective services. This review represents a significant and transformational reform agenda, drawing on the recommendations that the Department has received through a range of scrutiny reports focusing on special educational needs provision.

The weaknesses in our existing system have been well documented. We need to move beyond diagnosis of the problems to action that is aimed at making things better for children with special educational needs. The Chairman of the Education Committee referenced that and Daniel McCrossan said that now is the time for action. Our goal for children and young people with special educational needs is to have a system in which their needs are met with, as Diane Dodds quoted, "the right support from the right people, at the right time and in the right place." A parent should be able to have confidence that their child's needs will be identified early, that support will be provided promptly without necessarily requiring a statement of special educational needs, and that, as far as possible, their child will be placed at the same time as their non-special educational needs peers in a school that meets their needs. I am acutely aware that that is not the case for many children and young people with special educational needs. We are seeing a changing profile in our children, with increasing prevalence of special educational needs across our system and increasing complexity of need.

I agree about the greater awareness, but there are also greater health complexities for people who need additional support. They are able to go into educational settings, but their health needs are becoming more complex. As Minister, it is being presented to me that there is a need for more support in that area. The current system of provision was designed and established for a very different context and is no longer sustainable against the backdrop of the changing profile of need. I will give Members some figures. Between 2017-18 and 2022-23, expenditure on providing support for children and young people who have or may have special educational needs increased from £254 million to £480 million, with a forecast expenditure of around £544 million for the current year, 2023-24. That is a projected increase of 114% in just six years. Despite the rising trajectory of spend, the increased investment has all too often not resulted in improved outcomes for all children with special educational needs. As Minister, I want to ensure appropriate and timely educational placements for children with SEN. We have a continuum of education provision for children and young people with special educational needs. That graduated response provides a flexible framework that allows for a range of interventions to be implemented in the classroom, with teachers being encouraged and empowered to use their professional judgement in relation to a pupil's presenting needs in the classroom, supported by adequate resources and special advice or training, as required. In line with our current policy, just over 84% of children with SEN are educated in mainstream classes; 5% are educated in specialist provision in mainstream schools, which provide smaller classes with targeted support in an inclusive mainstream environment; and just over 10% are educated in special schools. Of those children with special educational needs, 63% do not have a statement of special educational need. That cohort will receive notification of their school placement in line with the general admissions process in April and May. The 37% of children with special educational needs who have a statement follow a different process for admission to schools. That process is based on consultation between the EA, the school and the parents and seeks to ensure that the school placement is appropriate to the needs of the child, as set out in their statement, which is subject to change at the annual review of the statement. So, there is a continual flow of children being referred for special educational needs assessments, which creates challenges in aligning the notification of placements of all children with the general admissions process. In recent years, specifically in the context of the challenges that it experienced last year, the system has struggled to keep up with the growing number of children and young people for whom specialist education provision has been deemed appropriate. In response, we need to build capacity urgently across our education system to ensure sufficient places in special schools and in specialist provision in mainstream schools and classes. That is an immediate priority for my Department and the EA. It is a key aspect of my Department's capital bid in the Budget process, and I trust that it will have Members' support. The issues are not solely about physical accommodation. We must also ensure that children are placed in settings where they are supported by appropriately skilled staff who have access to the necessary range of resources and supports. My goal is that the majority of children and young people with a statement of special educational need, who require a change of placement at key transition points in primary 7, primary 1 and preschool, receive notification of their place at the same time as other children so that they can look forward to new educational experiences and destinations in the same way as their peers. That has not been the case in recent years. I assure colleagues that my Department is leading a strategic response, supported by a significant programme of ongoing work in the Education Authority, to address that. It involves getting ahead of the numbers — the children — having a good understanding at an early point of the educational needs of children who are approaching transition years and ensuring that the capacity to meet that need is there. For now, the immediate priority is to create more capacity in the system to ensure that we have sufficient places this September. The current estimated shortfall is just over 1,000 places. The support of schools will be essential to meet the demand, and the EA recently wrote to all schools to seek their support in the creation of new specialist provision classes to alleviate the pressures. In turn, we must ensure that schools are supported appropriately to effectively meet the needs of children placed with them.

The Chairman of the Education Committee makes what should be an obvious point: when these children are placed, they should get the same support and experience as other children. That is what should be achieved, but, as he said, it clearly has not been the case in the past, and there needs to be learning from that. Ms Armstrong mentioned learning from the tribunal, and she is right to raise that. Officials engage with the tribunal, and that is due to take place again within the next number of weeks so that we understand the issues that are emerging and can feed that knowledge into the planning process to recognise it. I recognise that I will not be able to conclude all my remarks, but I want to touch on another issue. Members mentioned the 200 recommendations from the various reviews, including the recently published independent review of education emphasising the urgent need for change. Although the independent review indicates numerous deficiencies across the wider special educational needs system, it is encouraging that its recommendations on SEN broadly align with the extensive programme of work that is being undertaken as part of the end-to-end review of special educational needs. Improving the quality of educational experience for our children with special educational needs is imperative for my Department. However, that can be fully achieved only through strong partnerships across government, ensuring that children receive access to health and therapeutic supports when they need them and to appropriate pathways to training and employment. Investing in our children with special educational needs is not just beneficial to them, their families or my Department; the long-term benefits will be across all Departments and to society at large. The children in our schools today are the adults of tomorrow, and the opportunities presented to us right now to ensure that every child receives investment in their future will benefit our society and economy in the longer term. I look forward to continuing to engage with Members on the issue. No doubt, the Education Committee will want to take the matter up with me in detail. I will be more than happy to engage on it in the days and weeks ahead.

2,034 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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