It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.

Children with developmental coordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, access support through local National Health Service occupational therapy, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and educational services.

NHS guidance sets out a referral process which typically begins with a general practitioner, health visitor, or a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, who may refer the child to paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapist for assessment and support. The NHS guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/

For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.

Surrey Health provides occupational therapy support for children with dyspraxia of all ages. They provide speech and language therapy support for children under five years old who have verbal dyspraxia and a school aged speech and language therapy service for children over five years old.

Referrals for continence, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy can be made directly by parents/carers as well as the child’s health visitor, general practitioner, therapist, early years’ service, hospital paediatricians, audiology service, Mindworks Surrey, and other agencies.

This is for speech and language therapy support for those under five years old, and therefore not in a school setting, and for occupational therapy of all ages. If a child is in school and requires speech and language therapy, the referral is through the school as the service is a school-based service.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.

Children with developmental coordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, access support through local National Health Service occupational therapy, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and educational services.

NHS guidance sets out a referral process which typically begins with a general practitioner, health visitor, or a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, who may refer the child to paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapist for assessment and support. The NHS guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/

For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.

Surrey Health provides occupational therapy support for children with dyspraxia of all ages. They provide speech and language therapy support for children under five years old who have verbal dyspraxia and a school aged speech and language therapy service for children over five years old.

Referrals for continence, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy can be made directly by parents/carers as well as the child’s health visitor, general practitioner, therapist, early years’ service, hospital paediatricians, audiology service, Mindworks Surrey, and other agencies.

This is for speech and language therapy support for those under five years old, and therefore not in a school setting, and for occupational therapy of all ages. If a child is in school and requires speech and language therapy, the referral is through the school as the service is a school-based service.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.

Children with developmental coordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, access support through local National Health Service occupational therapy, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and educational services.

NHS guidance sets out a referral process which typically begins with a general practitioner, health visitor, or a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, who may refer the child to paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapist for assessment and support. The NHS guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/

For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.

Surrey Health provides occupational therapy support for children with dyspraxia of all ages. They provide speech and language therapy support for children under five years old who have verbal dyspraxia and a school aged speech and language therapy service for children over five years old.

Referrals for continence, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy can be made directly by parents/carers as well as the child’s health visitor, general practitioner, therapist, early years’ service, hospital paediatricians, audiology service, Mindworks Surrey, and other agencies.

This is for speech and language therapy support for those under five years old, and therefore not in a school setting, and for occupational therapy of all ages. If a child is in school and requires speech and language therapy, the referral is through the school as the service is a school-based service.

Every child in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child and young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

The department knows from our extensive engagement with parents, teachers, local authority staff and leaders, charities and others that there are significant challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. They need to be addressed urgently. But we must ensure we do so in a way that builds trust and confidence in the system and leads to improved outcomes for children and young people.

The department will set out our proposals for reform in a Schools white paper and we will consult widely on these proposals and continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

Where a pupil is not attending school due to unmet or additional needs, including dyspraxia, the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services work together to access and provide the right support to improve attendance.

We understand that early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, therefore we are supporting settings by strengthening the evidence base of what works. The government will set out proposals for reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system through a Schools white paper in due course.

Dyspraxia is a common condition, but public awareness levels are still too low. Does the Minister agree that more needs to be done across Government and society to raise awareness of dyspraxia?

Yes, I do. We want a more inclusive society where neurodivergent people, including those with dyspraxia, are supported to thrive. We are working across Government to support earlier intervention in schools, including through the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools programme, and the special educational needs and disabilities reforms coming forward in the new year, but we are also, beyond education, taking a wider view of how we ensure people with conditions such as dyspraxia are not held back.

The Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society where neurodiverse people, including those with dyspraxia, are supported to thrive.

Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder or DCD, is a common disorder that affects movement and co-ordination. Information on dyspraxia assessments and treatment is available to the public on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-in-adults/

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools as well as to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. The Government is also supporting earlier intervention for children with SEND through Mental Health Support Teams, as well as the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population. The National Health Service website advises that individuals should see a general practitioner (GP) if they think they have undiagnosed dyspraxia or problems with co-ordination. The GP may refer them to a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist for tests. Further information on dyspraxia assessments and treatment is available on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-in-adults/

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including diagnosis and support for dyspraxia. Further information on dyspraxia assessments and treatment is available on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-in-adults/

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper set out our proposal to commission analysis to ensure that the health needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with dyspraxia, are supported through effective workforce planning. We propose to work with Health Education England, NHS England and the Department for Education to build on existing evidence and assess demand for support for children and young people with SEND from the therapy and diagnostic workforce.

The number of therapists working in the National Health Service in England has increased in recent years, but we recognise the need to improve access to therapies. It is the responsibility of individual employers, including schools and hospitals, to plan their staffing levels in line with their local service priorities. To support the supply of more speech and language therapists to the NHS, since September 2020 all eligible students have been able to apply for a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year, with further financial support available for childcare, accommodation and travel costs.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). All trainees who achieve Qualified Teacher Status must demonstrate that they can adapt teaching to respond to the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

To support all teachers in meeting these standards, the department is implementing high-quality teacher training reforms which begin with initial teacher training and continue throughout career progression. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

The Universal Services Programme, which began in May 2022, aims to reach 70% of schools and colleges and will help the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.

The department is committed to gathering evidence about the implementation and impact of the reforms, to ensure that it provides the best support for new teachers entering the profession. To support this, we are working with the Education Endowment Foundation to ensure a comprehensive package of evaluation activity.

I thank my hon. Friend for being a doughty champion and highlighting Mikey’s campaign. All children and young people should receive the support they need to make the very best of all their talents and potential. He will know that in March we published a Green Paper covering a range of these issues, and I will certainly make sure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister.

My constituent Mikey Akers, who has verbal dyspraxia, said a few weeks ago:

“I am not ashamed of my disability, I am ashamed of the people who judge me without knowledge or understanding”.

According to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Dyspraxia Foundation, 5% of children are affected by speech and communication needs and more needs to be done to raise awareness in society. Will my right hon. Friend agree to convene a meeting with the Prime Minister to raise awareness about verbal dyspraxia, so that inspirational people like Mikey are never again left without a voice?

As set out in the Declaration on Government Reform and the recent Civil Service Diversity Strategy, the civil service is committed to setting a new standard for inclusive workplaces. The Cabinet Office values the importance of ensuring our workplaces are inclusive for colleagues with dyslexia and we engage with relevant Networks where appropriate.

The Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network are a sub-network of the Civil Service Disability Network. As a sub-network of the Civil Service Disability Network, the chairs of the sub networks meet every two months, a representative of the Civil Service Inclusive Practice Team attends these meetings, the most recent meeting was on 19 May 2022.

Additionally the team will engage with individual Networks on an ad hoc basis when requested or helpful to test HR policy which impacts specific groups. Individual HR policy teams, such as those on recruitment, organise and meet separately with stakeholders.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response will outline the information for England only.

The department is committed to ensuring that all pupils can reach their potential and receive excellent support from their teachers. Published on 28 March 2022, the Schools White Paper sets the foundations to support the aims and ambitions of the SEND Review.

The department’s reformed initial teacher training (ITT) core content framework and the new Early Career Framework (ECF), both developed with sector experts, will equip teachers with a clear understanding of the needs of children with SEND.

All teachers are teachers of SEND. ITT courses must be designed so that trainee teachers can demonstrate that they meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes the requirement that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

Consideration of SEND underpins both the ITT core content framework and ECF. The ECF is designed to support all pupils to succeed and seeks to widen access for all.

Once teachers qualify and are employed in schools, headteachers use their professional judgement to identify any further training. This includes specific specialisms for and relevant to individual staff, the school, and its pupils.

The department has funded the creation of a suite of condition specific videos to provide helpful pointers, techniques, and advice on inclusive teaching strategies for newly qualified teachers. The videos cover dyslexia and dyspraxia amongst a range of specific learning needs.

The Children and Families Act 2014 placed duties on early years providers, schools, further education colleges (FE), and some post-16 providers to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to succeed in their education. Our SEND Code of Practice sets out clear guidance that they should apply a 'graduated approach’, which means identifying a child or young persons’ needs, implementing appropriate support, reviewing it regularly and taking their views into account. The Code of Practice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

The department is committed to supporting the development of teachers' and educational professionals' skills, as well as evidence based and effective practice within nurseries schools and colleges. The department has funded the whole school SEND consortium, through our contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs, to deliver a programme which supports school staff in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, including dyspraxia. In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a further £2 million to this work, bringing the total funding for this contract to over £8 million since 2018.

In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a grant of almost £1.2 million to the Education and Training Foundation. This grant will support the FE workforce in identifying and meeting the needs of learners with SEND, including those with dyspraxia. The department also announced recently that it will offer training bursaries, worth £15,000 each (tax free), for a further academic year (2022/23), to those specialising in SEND teaching in the FE sector.

The department does not differentiate between different types of SEND in the way funding is allocated to schools, colleges and local authorities for the responsibilities they have for supporting children and young people with SEND. Over the last 10 years there have been substantial increases in core schools funding, which includes funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for children and young people with more complex needs. In financial year 2022/23 alone, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to 2021/22: an increase of 5% in real terms per pupil.