The department recognises that families play a vital role in identifying and understanding their children’s needs, and we expect education settings to work in partnership with parents and carers as part of early identification, ongoing assessment and the timely provision of support.

We will place a duty on settings to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for any child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The ISP will be developed by settings together with parents and young people, giving every child or young person with SEND a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive, so that support is joined‑up, timely and genuinely centred on what will help them to thrive. ISPs will be used to communicate provision to parents and actions taken between parents and settings, supporting the relationship between home and setting. ISPs must be reviewed at least annually and may be reviewed more frequently as a child’s needs develop.