Committee publication · Correspondence · 16 June 2026
Letter to Secretary of State for Education on Investment in the SEND Workforce dated 04.06.26
From: Education Committee
Inquiry: Solving the SEND Crisis
Summary
The Secretary of State for Education writes to the Education Committee chair to announce imminent details on workforce investment aligned with the 'Every child achieving and thriving' White Paper. The letter outlines three initiatives: the Experts at Hand programme bringing education and healthcare specialists into mainstream schools; appointment of an independent Expert Panel (chaired jointly by Tom Rees and Anne Gordon) to design National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages; and £200 million in staff training materials from September 2026.
Key findings
- Experts at Hand final grant allocations and guidance published 15 April 2026; local authorities and ICBs to establish local offers from 2026-27 onwards.
- Independent Expert Panel appointed with Anne Gordon (NHS) as health co-chair and Tom Rees as education co-chair to develop National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.
- £200 million backing announced for SEND and inclusion training across all education settings; free CPD access for early years practitioners from September 2026.
- National Inclusion Standards will provide evidence-informed tools for educators across 0-25 settings; Specialist Provision Packages will underpin EHCPs for children with complex needs.
- Government reviewing SEND Reform consultation responses (closed previous month); full government response and next steps to be shared with continued stakeholder engagement.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Bridget Phillipson MP (Secretary of State for Education), Helen Hayes MP (Chair of Education Select Committee), Anne Gordon (Health co-chair, Expert Panel), Tom Rees (Education co-chair, Expert Panel), Department for Education, Local authorities, Integrated Care Boards
Notable line
“This includes bringing education and healthcare experts into mainstream schools, colleges and early years settings through Experts at Hand, new training for all staff …”
Key Quotes
“… our White Paper, 'Every child achieving and thriving', set out our vision for an inclusive education system where children with special educational needs and disabilities have equal right to a high quality education which identifies and meets their needs in their local community.”
“This is a critical step towards strengthening early support in mainstream settings, improving access to education and health care experts. and enabling more joined-up working across education, health and care.”
“The National Inclusion Standards will set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs across all 0 — 25 education settings.”
“From September 2026, we will be sharing materials that can help schools and colleges to deliver high-quality, contextualised training to all staff on SEND and inclusion”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗