What do parents report of the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process?

The relatively recent Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND 2014) legislation called for a ‘stronger voice’ for parents in educational planning for their children and higher aspirations for children and young people.

This study was designed to investigate what parents report of the Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process (also ‘statutory assessment’) since the inception of the SEND (2014) reforms, particularly if the aims of the reforms have been met from parents’ perspectives. The research is exploratory as there is currently little known about parents’ experiences of statutory assessment since the SEND (2014) reforms and it is also emancipatory, where parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disability represent a traditionally marginalised group. The study further aims to improve practice for Educational Psychologists (EPs) who have a central role in statutory assessment, as well other professionals who may also be involved.

Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from parents whose children were undergoing statutory assessment. Data was collected from each parent at three points in the process and data was analysed using a thematic analysis described by Braun and Clarke (2013). The findings indicate that in order for the aims of the (2014) reforms to met, this can only be realised in the social spaces created by parents and professionals working together. In order for professionals working within statutory assessment procedures to deliver the aims of the SEND (2014) reforms there needs to be a greater focus on ensuring co-construction and meaningful participation for parents in practice. It was found that this was particularly important when working with parents who have less means of creating their own conditions of empowerment.