Date updated: Sunday 2nd February 2020

The extension of the Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal jurisdiction to also make recommendations regarding health and social care provision now has a deadline of 31 August 2020. Michelle Donelan MP, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Children and Families, said the trial was being extended from 31 March 2020 to allow for evaluation and implementation.

We will need to decide a way forward, once we have a finalised evaluation report in February 2020,” she said.

We’re unlikely to be able to conclude our consideration of the evaluation, and make a decision about the way forward, until at least March/April 2020.

Local areas will need time to plan for whatever decision we take about the future of the SEND Tribunal arrangements.

Allowing local areas until the end of August 2020 to implement a decision made by Easter 2020 should provide sufficient time for them to do this.

Trial guidance has been updated and can be read here.

The trial provides extended powers for a SEND Tribunal to hear, and make non-binding decisions about, appeals relating to health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. It also aims to provide a further lever to bring education, health and social care services together at a local level.

Stone King is a leading law firm in the education sector and has particular expertise in SEN and disability law.