Page 10 - SENExtra October 2021

Petition watch Our readers are passionate about a wide range of issues. Here we will provide you with opportunities to support initiatives which are of importance to you. Petition Watch comprises a list of petitions relating to SEN which are currently active on the UK Parliament website with more than 100 signatures at the time of compilation. To add your name to any of these, go to the relevant page on the UK Parliament website (petition.parliament.uk). The petitions are not just symbolic. Any which reach 10,000 names will receive a response from HM Government. At 100,000 names, there is a chance that it will receive a debate in Parliament. We will continue to monitor and update this list in future issues, and of course report in more detail on any which meet either threshold. Require all school staff receive training on SEN children All school staff should be required to take a course on children with special educational needs (SEN). Too many school staff don’t have any idea how to engage with SEN children! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587365 Create an emergency fund for ASD (autism) & ADHD assessments The Government should create an emergency fund to deal with waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/589677 Fund improved support for people with communication and swallowing needs We want the Government to improve the lives of people of all ages with communication and swallowing needs by ensuring they are able to access the speech and language therapy that they and their families and carers need. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587872 More funding for SEN children to access appropriate school provisions Make more funding available for schools and local authorities to offer better provisions for SEN children, especially those who do not fit the criteria for special needs EMS/mainstream schools. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/591092 Require School SENCOs to be fully qualified for the role School senco’s to be qualified before they take the role and they must have done in depth training on special educational needs. The current role can be filled by a person not qualified for the role and they have 3 years to qualify. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/591092 Ensure mental health assessments for children are within 4 weeks of GP referral The Government should make it a requirement for all NHS Trusts to ensure that the mental health needs of children are assessed within 4 weeks of a referral by a GP, and provide the necessary funding to create capacity for this. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/588224 More funding for local authorities to assess and support Autistic children What is needed are social workers specialised in Children with disabilities and not safeguarding social workers. Two different assessments and this needs to be recognised. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/585737 Replace “Special Educational Needs” within the Children & Families Act The use of “Special Educational Needs” in the Children & Families Act (2014) and Code of Practice (2015) is outdated. It does not accurately describe the provision that many children need. It should be replaced with the term “additional needs”. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/584547 Ban Applied Behavioural Analysis for autistic people Ban Applied Behavioural Analysis (sometimes referred to as “conversion therapy”) for autistic people. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/578616 Make British Sign Language a language option in the national curriculum Make British Sign Language an option for students to study at school. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/579898