Legal News

The Department for Education is consulting on a new approach to funding SEND support in mainstream schools from 2027–28. Participating local authorities could transfer part of their high-needs funding into school budgets through a new “local SEND inclusion factor”. Schools would receive more money upfront and, in return, would be expected to meet a greater […]

When a person with care needs linked to mental health difficulties asks for urgent care and support, reassessment is not, by itself, a complete answer.That is the practical point in R (Hylton) v Medway Council [2026] EWHC 1537 (Admin), a judgment by Thomas Raphael KC. The case concerned adult social care and interim support under the Care

The Department for Education is consulting on Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS). Responses are due by 11.59 pm on 18 September 2026.The Government intends to legislate through their Education for All Bill, with changes expected from 2029/30. For those entering the system, EOTAS would be available to children and young people with the most

In A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland [2026] UKSC 16, the Supreme Court considered when a person who lacks mental capacity is legally deprived of their liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to liberty and requires proper legal safeguards where that liberty is

Introduction:Public discussion about ADHD in the UK has intensified in recent years. A common claim in media commentary and public debate is that ADHD is now widely over-diagnosed. A recent editorial in The British Journal of Psychiatry examines that claim and reviews the available evidence. The authors include leading clinicians and researchers in child and

This is a summary from an article that appeared on the BBC website on 5 February 2026. Alton Towers will trial stricter eligibility for its ride access (disability queuing) scheme during the February half-term. Similar restrictions will also apply at Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland Windsor. Under the trial, “difficulty with crowds” (often linked

Introduction Disabled Students UK’s 2024 Access Insights Report summarises survey findings on disabled students’ experiences of accessibility in UK higher education, including the planning and delivery of reasonable adjustments. It reports areas where students perceive improvement as well as issues that continue to be reported across the sector. It aims to support year-on-year tracking, and

An Upper Tribunal decision, OO and BO v London Borough of Bexley [2023] UKUT 223 (AAC), clarifies when a local authority can refuse to name a parent’s or young person’s preferred school in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The case concerned an autistic child whose parents requested a particular school. The local authority

The Government has launched a nationwide conversation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) — the largest engagement exercise of its kind. Its aim is to put lived experience at the centre of future reform. Over the coming weeks, regional events and online forums will gather views from families, practitioners and local services. Discussions will

A 2020 review by Tessa van Leeuwen, Janina Neufeld, James Hughes and Jamie Ward examined why people with autism are more likely than others to experience synaesthesia – the blending of the senses where, for example, letters appear coloured or words evoke tastes (pp. 433–434). They found consistent evidence that synaesthesia is more common among