PART 3

Children and young people in England with special educational needs or disabilities

Information and advice

Local offer
30
1
A local authority in England must publish information about—
a
the provision within subsection (2) it expects to be available in its area at the time of publication for children and young people who have special educational needs or a disability, and
b
the provision within subsection (2) it expects to be available outside its area at that time for—
i
children and young people for whom it is responsible, and
ii
children and young people in its area who have a disability.
2
The provision for children and young people referred to in subsection (1) is—
a
education, health and care provision;
b
other educational provision;
c
other training provision;
d
arrangements for travel to and from schools and post-16 institutions and places at which relevant early years education is provided;
e
provision to assist in preparing children and young people for adulthood and independent living.
3
For the purposes of subsection (2)(e), provision to assist in preparation for adulthood and independent living includes provision relating to—
a
finding employment;
b
obtaining accommodation;
c
participation in society.
4
Information required to be published by an authority under this section is to be known as its “local offer”.
5
A local authority must keep its local offer under review and may from time to time revise it.
6
A local authority must from time to time publish—
a
comments about its local offer it has received from or on behalf of—
i
children and young people with special educational needs, and the parents of children with special educational needs, and
ii
children and young people who have a disability, and the parents of children who have a disability, and
b
the authority’s response to those comments (including details of any action the authority intends to take).
7
Comments published under subsection (6)(a) must be published in a form that does not enable the person making them to be identified.
8
Regulations may make provision about—
a
the information to be included in an authority’s local offer;
b
how an authority’s local offer is to be published;
c
who is to be consulted by an authority in preparing and reviewing its local offer;
d
how an authority is to involve—
i
children and young people with special educational needs, and the parents of children with special educational needs, and
ii
children and young people who have a disability, and the parents of children who have a disability,
in the preparation and review of its local offer;
e
the publication of comments on the local offer, and the local authority’s response, under subsection (6) (including circumstances in which comments are not required to be published).
9
The regulations may in particular require an authority’s local offer to include—
a
information about how to obtain an EHC needs assessment;
b
information about other sources of information, advice and support for—
i
children and young people with special educational needs and those who care for them, and
ii
children and young people who have a disability and those who care for them;
c
information about gaining access to provision additional to, or different from, the provision mentioned in subsection (2);
d
information about how to make a complaint about provision mentioned in subsection (2).