SEND reforms need to help children and young people with acquired brain injuries

The current teacher training curriculum and SENCO training rarely includes acquired brain injury (ABI), despite covering other less-prevalent conditions like hearing impairments. Unlike these conditions, which have specialist advisory teachers within local authorities, there is no dedicated support system for students with acquired brain injuries.

The former Education Secretary, Baroness (Estelle) Morris, who is Vice Chair of the APPG on Acquired Brain Injury, said:

“I welcome the SEND proposals in the Government’s White Paper. It gives us a chance to bring about significant change for the tens of thousands of children across the country who desperately need better support in their schools or colleges. For too long the needs of those children with an acquired brain injury haven’t been addressed and this is a chance to remedy that. 

Educational Authorities need to develop comprehensive brain injury training for teachers, while the DfE should evaluate the establishment of specialist advisory services for brain injury support and ensure that there is far better integration of brain injury awareness into teacher and SENCO training programmes.”

Children and young people with brain injuries are at higher risk of poor outcomes throughout their lifetimes, including:

• overrepresentation in exclusions and alternative provision

• overrepresentation in the criminal justice system

• less likely to progress to future study or work

• more likely to receive welfare benefits 

• more likely to become homeless

Despite this, there is no consistent national measurement of data relating to children and young people with ABI, and ABI is not included as a category on the SEN census. There is no mandatory training for teachers or SENCOs on ABI, and the current SEND system is unable to respond with the urgency or flexibility required to sudden, acquired needs like ABI, leading to long delays in pupils returning to school or accessing appropriate support within school. 

UKABIF welcome the new SEND reforms proposals and plan to input into the recently launched Government consultation on SEND.

Noting to the launch of the consultation, UKABIF:

• Calls for the new national SEND training programme to include dedicated training on children and young people with ABI, and for the new ‘Experts at Hand’ service to include professionals with expertise in ABI in every local area
  
  

• Welcomes the intention to make Targeted support available without an EHCP, to tackle the barriers to timely support for children and young people returning to education following an ABI
  
  

• Supports the principle of Individual Support Plans, recognising the potential to improve recognition and monitoring of needs and access to support after ABI
  
  

• Backs the integration of SEND outreach into Best Start Family Hubs, providing the opportunity to identify and support children with an early ABI before they start school, and ensure the support they require can be put in place from the outset
  
  

• Calls for ABI to be included as a category on the SEN census in England. This would allow for more accurate reporting of those requiring additional educational provision, ensuring SENCOS and local services are aware of any hidden or unmet needs. 

Chloe Hayward, Executive Director of UKABIF, said:

“Schools play a critical role in rehabilitation for children and young people with acquired brain injury, and under the current system far too many have struggled to access the support they need to return to education. These proposals have the potential to bring about a meaningful, positive change, but they must be properly funded across every area of the UK to tackle the current postcode lottery of provision for children and young people with brain injuries.”

Jo Mitchinson, a teacher in Hertfordshire, whose daughter experienced a traumatic brain injury, has presented in Parliament at a roundtable organised by the APPG on Acquired Brain Injury. She said: 

“There is a huge burden on parents and teachers having to advocate within the system, rather than the system already having necessary information and support structures in place. My daughter has made a physical recovery & has even represented GB in Cyclocross. However, she experienced real emotional and psychological difficulties at school because of the impact of her injury. Often my daughter was brought to me while I was teaching another class of 30 children because she couldn’t cope in her own class. This lack of systemic support was a huge challenge for both of us.

Dr Emily Bennett, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Paediatric Neuropsychologist at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, who chairs the National Acquired Brain Injury In Learning And Education Syndicate (N-ABLES) said: 

“We welcome the emphasis within the White Paper on belonging. This is so important to children, and particularly to those with an ABI, who are often trying to adjust to a ‘new normal’. However, for these children and young people to truly belong, we believe ABI, and its impact, must be better identified, monitored and supported within schools, rather than remaining a hidden disability, as is often the case at present. The Government’s SEND proposals bring hope in this regard, and NABLES will continue to advocate for CYP with an ABI in schools to ensure the proposed changes make a real difference in the lives of these vulnerable children.”