- Mencap have launched a new campaign called ‘Treat Me Well’ which calls on NHS staff to make reasonable adjustments when treating people with a learning disability. According to Mencap, 1,200 people with a learning disability die avoidably each year. You can find out more about their campaign here https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-mencap/treat-me-well which includes an option for staff working in hospitals to sign up to become a ‘Treat Me Well Champion’.
- We are pleased to confirm that the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman are accepting new complaints, and continuing investigating their existing case load, from Monday 28 June 2020. This is great news for families seeking redress, where options like judicial review may be prohibitively expensive. We can advise you about the most suitable route of redress for your complaint.
- We will find out next week whether the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, will issue a further Notice under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to downgrade the right for children to be entitled to special educational provision in their EHCPs (under s42 of the Children and Families Act 2014, see our blogpost for more details https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/moore-tibbits/news/2020/06/special-educational-needs-and-disability-updated-guidance-290520). There is a petition here asking the Secretary of State to avoid issuing a further Notice here https://www.change.org/p/secretary-of-state-for-education-reinstate-our-children-s-rights-to-education-and-health-provision-from-1st-june-2020?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=be20f240-910e-11e8-b450-87bded0197f7. With lockdown easing, and children returning to school and college, it is becoming more and more difficult to justify issuing a further Notice.
- The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have updated their guidance note about children and young people who should be shielding. It can be found here https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-people. A large number of children have been removed from the shielding category due to further research, and the rest have been split into two groups. The first, small, group will need to continue to shield. The second, larger group can decide whether to continue to shield on a case by case basis following discussions between clinicians and family members. Contact your child’s GP or consultant if you are concerned about your child’s inclusion on or exclusion from this list.
If you have concerns about your child's education, speak to our specialist SEN lawyers today by emailing: education@moore-tibbits.co.uk or calling 01926 354704 for free initial advice.