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Special educational needs (SEND)

A significant number of children may have an undiagnosed Special Education Need (SEN) when they begin living with a foster carer. During the process of putting a Personal Education Plan (PEP) in place, the local authority should ensure that any undiagnosed special educational needs are addressed as soon as possible if they are identified through this process.

The school’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) team should work closely with the virtual school head as well as social workers, to ensure that local authorities have effective and joined-up processes for meeting a child’s needs.

Teacher High Five

What is special educational provision?  

Special educational provision is provision that is different from or additional to that normally available to pupils or students of the same age, which is designed to help children and young people with SEN or disabilities to access the National Curriculum at school or to study at college.

Child Schoolwork

Supporting a foster child with SEN

Children with SEN often find it more difficult to cope within the educational environment than their peers, and it can hinder their ability to learn. Therefore, it is vital that foster carers have an understanding of how to identify and access the support required for the children that come into their care.

Foster carers can provide support by:

  • Understanding that SEND can cover a wide range of learning difficulties and needs   

  • Looking out for signs a child may have an unidentified SEND

  • Raising concerns quickly if you think a child may have a form of SEND

  • Look into your ‘local offer’ for information on the support available in your local area 

  • Supporting a young person with their plans for college or an apprentice  

Other useful organisations

Children and young people educated out of area

Where a child or young person being educated out of the local authority’s area is brought to the local authority’s attention as potentially having SEN, the home local authority (where the child normally lives) should decide whether to assess the child or young person and decide whether an EHC plan is required.

If the child or young person is placed by a local authority at an independent special school, non-maintained special school or independent specialist provider, the local authority must pay the appropriate costs.

Children Being Taught

What is the local offer?

All Local Authorities must publish a detailed summary of the services available to support children and young people with SEN and disabilities named the ‘Local Offer’. This should cover services for education, health and social care and should include information about services available in neighboring boroughs

For more information, see section 4 of the SEND Code of Practice, which covers the Local Offer in detail, here. See also the Schedule 2 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Regulations 2014 which provides a common framework for the local offer, here

Children On Laptop
Family Reading

We have a created a range of resources to support foster carers caring for a child or young person with a disability, including tips for preparing to welcome a child into your home, benefits you or they may be entitled to, and lists of further organisations providing specialist support.  

Caring for a child with a disability
The Fostering Network
Department for Education

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