Responding to a report by the Law Commission for the Government on recommended changes to disabled children’s social care law , Rachael Wardell OBE, President of ADCS, said:
“The Law Commission’s final report is thorough and detailed. It will take some time to digest its full contents and suite of recommendations; however, it captures the complexity and interdependencies of this area of policy, practice and legislation, which have built up over many years.
“In principle, we support the aims of bringing greater coherence to, and improved access for, disabled children and their families to the support they need to thrive under the banner of Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
“New duties, definitions, criteria, guidance and assessments are proposed. This could lead to an even more complex picture for families to navigate, as well as unintended consequences as we have seen with previous legislation.
“We look forward to engaging with the Government and Law Commission on the next steps and understanding how this links into the forthcoming SEND white paper and programme of reform, as well as the ongoing children’s social care and NHS reforms.”
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