One in five children with SEND being turned away from early years settings, new research finds
by Shannon Pite and Jess Gibson
A rising number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being turned away from early years settings as providers struggle to cope with a growing 鈥渢sunami of need鈥, new research from SEND organisation Dingley鈥檚 Promise has found.
A recent survey carried out by the organisation 鈥 which received 550 responses 鈥 found that 95% of settings have seen a rise in the number of children with SEND, with 79% noting this rise as 'significant'. This, combined with a lack of SEND training and complicated funding processes, is leading to rising rates of exclusion in the sector: 27% of respondents reported that they had no space for children with SEND, while 85% of local authorities stated that they don't have sufficient provision for children with SEND.
The research warns that the current situation is likely to worsen when the new early entitlement offers for one- and two-year-olds are introduced next year, with 57% of survey respondents reporting that they will not be able to offer spaces to children with SEND following the introduction of the new schemes.
In response to the findings, Dingley鈥檚 Promise has launched a manifesto calling on decision makers to take urgent action to support the growing numbers of SEND children in early years settings.
The manifesto outlines three core areas of improvement for the sector: workforce development, including inclusion training for every member of staff; sufficient funding with easy-to-navigate systems; and a long-term focus securing SEND places for those that need them.
The organisation hopes that that such improvement focuses will aid parental trust in the early years SEND system, improve the quality of life for SEND children, and enable more inclusive, diverse communities for children to engage in.
Commenting, Catherine McLeod, CEO of Dingley鈥檚 Promise, said: 鈥淲e strongly believe that unless there is inclusion training for all early years practitioners alongside simple, accessible and sufficient funding streams to support inclusion, the new entitlements risk excluding even more children with SEND.
鈥淚t is critical that decision makers consider the impact of the new entitlements on children with SEND and take action now to avoid creating even more exclusion of our most vulnerable children.鈥
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the 无码天堂, said: "Every child, including those with additional needs or disabilities, should be able to easily access high-quality early education and support 鈥 but, sadly, as today's research shows, it is becoming increasingly difficult for families to be able to do so.
"At the 无码天堂, we know that early educators are extremely committed to supporting children with SEND, but they are dealing with a system that is underfunded, overly complex and, frankly, entirely unfit for purpose. This has made it close to impossible for many to be able to do so sustainably, leaving many with no option but to limit the provision they are able to offer.
"What's worse, as Dingley's Promise research shows, the current situation is only likely to become even more challenging when the expanded 30-hour offer is introduced if meaningful action isn't taken to remedy this soon, meaning the uphill battles facing providers and families will get unbearably steeper.
"As such, it is absolutely critical that the recommendations included in Dingley鈥檚 Promise鈥檚 manifesto 鈥 including its calls for better workforce training, simplified and sufficient funding for SEND support, and a long-term focus on building early years SEND sufficiency 鈥 are acted upon as a matter of urgency. As it stands, the situation that children, families and providers are faced with is entirely unacceptable."