Children/young people with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, and complex learning difficulties and disabilities have rights to have their needs met. In order to meet a child's/young person’s needs the following elements are required:
- A clear idea of what those needs are;
- A plan for meeting the needs;
- Resources (equipment and expertise).
Meeting them needs organisation, funding and regulation. The first four slides
of this module introduce situations which depend on legislation to achieve the desired
outcomes for
children/young people.
Local authority maintained schools have a budget to provide ‘special educational
needs support’ for pupils up to a certain cost.
A pupil with more complex educational and other needs may need additional money to
support them. In this case, the local authority may issue an Education, Health and
Care (EHC) Plan which allows further resources and funding to help the pupil progress.
The primary legislation regulating EHC Plans is the Children and Families Act 2014.
In this video, Marley’s parents are discussing his progress at a meeting to review
his special educational needs and provision. Consider the range of issues that Marley
and his parents and the professionals they interact with might face.
Understanding the basis of the rights of Marley and his family, the source of the
procedures to realise those rights, and the duties of the people around them is important
in order to meet their needs.
