The government has appointed an expert panel to ensure better and more consistent support for children and young people with SEND.
University of Birmingham's Professor Karen Guldberg and Professor Susana Castro-Kemp have been appointed to an expert panel set up by government to help transform support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The 11-member independent panel brings together leaders from education, health and care to oversee the development of National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages, as part of the government’s efforts to reform the SEND system.
Professor Guldberg and Professor Castro-Kemp are part of the University of Birmingham’s School of Education. Both have a wealth of expertise in SEND research and extensive experience working with schools, parents, charities, practitioners and policymakers on a global scale.
The National Inclusion Standards, shaped by the panel, will define what good support looks like across the country. This will provide schools and colleges with clearer expectations and help ensure children receive consistent support regardless of where they live.
For children and young people with the most complex needs, the Specialist Provision Packages will underpin Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), setting out clearly the support they should expect to receive, from specialist teaching and therapies to communication aids and assistive technology.
The voices of children, parents and sector groups will feed into the development of the Standards and Packages, with the panel engaging closely with stakeholders to ensure both evidence and lived experience is reflected.
By bringing together research, practice and stakeholder voice, this work has the potential to support more responsive, inclusive and effective provision nationwide.
As Professor of Inclusion and one of the University of Birmingham’s recently appointed 125th Anniversary Chairs, Susana Castro-Kemp is shaping research, policy and practice both nationally and internationally. Speaking about her appointment, Professor Castro-Kemp said: “It is a privilege to contribute to this national effort to strengthen support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The development of National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages represents a significant opportunity to establish greater clarity, consistency and equity across the system."
Karen Guldberg is Professor in Autism Studies and Head of the School of Education. She recently chaired the Department for Education’s (DfE) Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group and was a member of the DfE Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion. Professor Guldberg said: "We are particularly committed to ensuring that these frameworks are underpinned by a range of robust evidence sources and informed meaningfully by the lived experiences of children, families and practitioners. By bringing together research, practice and stakeholder voice, this work has the potential to support more responsive, inclusive and effective provision nationwide."
Committed to making inclusive, high-quality education available to all.
Head of the School of Education and Professor of Autism Studies
Professor Karen Guldberg is Head of the School of Education and chairs a government Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group
125th Anniversary Chair – Professor of Inclusion
Staff profile for Professor Susana Castro-Kemp, 125th Anniversary Chair – Professor of Inclusion based in the Department of Inclusion, Disability and Special Needs, University of Birmingham.
