Book review – Special educational needs and disability discrimination in schools

by stevebroach

Disclaimer – I was sent a free review copy of this book by the publishers, Legal Action Group (LAG), and I am also a LAG author. This is still a really good book though, honest.

As education budgets are cut and pressures on schools mount, it is ever more important that parents, children and young people know the law and use the law (copyright Senior Tribunal Judge McConnell). That task has been made significantly easier by the publication last year of Special educational needs and disability discrimination in schools: a legal handbook (Legal Action Group). Written by three highly expert education barristers from Matrix Chambers, the book is a very practical guide to some of the key areas in the SEND system.

I was struck by the fact that the book gives only four pages to the position of children with SEN but without an EHC plan, while EHC assessments and plans (rightly) get two full chapters. This reflects the fact that the detailed legal scheme for SEN really only kicks in at the stage of EHC assessment. The importance of the EHC process in law needs to be kept in mind when some local authorities are considering adopting forms of extra-statutory replacements for this process. The book provides expert guidance on how to navigate the process mandated by the law.

It is great to see that the book devotes a whole chapter to the position of children and young people with SEN in detention. We know the rates of SEN amongst the detained population are sky high and one of the most welcome innovations under the Children and Families Act 2014 was a focus on their needs. The book helps explain how to make those rights real.

There are also chapters on appeals to the Tribunal (including onward appeals to the Upper Tribunal), disability discrimination, school transport and inter-authority disputes – the last being particularly welcome as a tool to help families avoid getting lost in a maze of local authorities seeking to avoid responsibility for the child or young person.

As can be expected with a LAG handbook, this book is an essential reference point for families, advisers and professionals. I cannot imagine that there is anyone who is involved in the SEN process at any level who would not benefit from a copy. Not only is there the expert commentary from the three authors, reviewing the legislation and case law, but the book also contains the key provisions of the legislation and Code of Practice, making it a handy reference guide. Each chapter begins with a very helpful summary of key points, which can act as a ‘myth buster’ in relation to the relevant area of law.

The law is stated as at January 2017 but there has been little if any substantive change in this area of law since then – the only obvious thing missing from the book as the result of the passage of time will be the guidance from the Upper Tribunal in a couple of recent cases, which will hopefully feature in a second edition. As there is nothing to suggest that there will be any wholesale changes to SEND law soon (answers on a postcard as to whether that is a good or bad thing), it seems to me that it is well worth investing in this book even though it is a year old.

Finally – shameless plug alert – this book is an excellent companion to Disabled Children: A Legal Handbook, which I co-author for LAG. Our book provides an overview of a wide range of legal issues affecting disabled children and young people, for instance social care, housing and mental capacity as well as SEN, whereas this book focuses on the SEN system created by the Children and Families Act. The absence of properly joined up legislation to meet the needs of all disabled children and young people perhaps explains why two books are necessary rather than one.

Special educational needs and disability discrimination in schools: a legal handbook is available from the Legal Action Group website (£45 – hard copy and ebook).

Disabled Children: A Legal Handbook is available from the Legal Action Group website (£50 – hard copy and ebook). The chapters can also be downloaded free of charge from the Council for Disabled Children website.

(These books concern the law in England. Not only is the law in Scotland very different but Welsh SEND law also now has significant differences to England, as I believe does Northern Irish law. I do not know of any similar books in relation to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland but if any readers are aware of such books please leave a comment with a link).