Ministers urged to keep care plans for children with special needs

Ministers are going through calls to not reduce training plans for kids and younger folks with particular academic wants and disabilities (Ship).Campaigners say training, well being and care plans (EHCPs) are “valuable authorized protections”, warning that hundreds of youngsters might lose entry to training if the plans are abolished.The federal government says it inherited the system “left on its knees”. Talking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Schooling Secretary Bridget Phillipson described it as a “complicated and delicate space” when requested if she might rule out scrapping EHCPs.However Neil O’Brien, the shadow training minister, has criticised the federal government for “damaged guarantees and U-turns”.An EHCP is a legally binding doc which ensures a baby or younger individual with particular or academic wants will get the best assist from a neighborhood authority.Full particulars of the proposed adjustments are due in October, however ministers haven’t dominated out scrapping the training plans – insisting no selections have been taken.In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, campaigners have mentioned that with out EHCPs in mainstream faculties, “many hundreds of youngsters danger being denied important provision, or dropping entry to training altogether”.”Regardless of the Ship system’s issues, the reply is to not take away the rights of youngsters and younger folks. Households can not afford to lose these valuable authorized protections,” they added.Signatories to the letter embrace the heads of charities, professors, Ship dad and mom together with actor Sally Phillips, and campaigners together with broadcaster Chris Packham.Talking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Phillipson mentioned: “What I can say very clearly is that we are going to strengthen and put in place higher assist for kids.”I have been spending a variety of time listening to folks, to incapacity rights teams, to campaigners and to others and to colleagues throughout Parliament as effectively, as a result of it is necessary to get this proper.”O’Brien, the shadow minister, mentioned the federal government had “no credibility left”.”It is a authorities outlined by damaged guarantees and U-turns. They mentioned they’d make use of extra academics they usually have fewer. They mentioned they’d not increase tax on working folks however did,” O’Brien mentioned.Information from the Division for Schooling launched in June confirmed that the variety of EHCPs has elevated.In whole, there have been 638,745 EHCPs in place in January 2025, up 10.8% on the identical level final yr.The variety of new plans which began throughout 2024 additionally grew by 15.8% on the earlier yr, to 97,747.Requests for kids to be assessed for EHCPs rose by 11.8% to 154,489 in 2023.A Division for Schooling spokesperson mentioned: “We’ve been clear that there aren’t any plans to abolish Ship tribunals, or to take away funding or assist from youngsters, households and faculties.”The spokesperson added that it will be “completely inaccurate to recommend that youngsters, households and faculties may expertise any lack of funding or assist”.