Children’s Minister Edward Timpson has announced that the Department for Education will invest £30 million to recruit and train a pool of “independent supporters” to help parents navigate the new SEN process following the reforms. The independent supporters or “champions” will be drawn from independent voluntary, community and private organisations and their role will be to provide independent help and advice to families to help them to navigate the reforms and help hold local authorities accountable.
The Council for Disabled Children has been designated with ensuring that “a range of organisations provide this totally independent help, overseeing the recruitment and training of the independent supporters – around 12 per area – in time for the implementation of our comprehensive SEN reforms”.
