Written questions by Smith.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of investing in early dispute resolution and mediation for the purposes of resolving disputes in the SEND system.

The department believes that more special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) disputes should be resolved earlier, with families, settings and local authorities working together to develop solutions to disagreements.We are aware that not all families are able to access high quality, earlier dispute resolution through either local authority-commission mediation or disagreement resolution services. We are considering what more we can do to strengthen earlier dispute resolution and will set out our vision for redress in a reformed SEND system shortly.

What discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on reform of the parental complaints process to include mandatory mediation.

It is important that parents and carers have the right to raise complaints with schools and feel they are able to do this and have their concerns heard and addressed by schools. Schools are required to have a complaints policy in place and to act in compliance with this where complaints are raised.There are routes of escalation for complaints where parents and carers believe complaints have not been handled compliantly, or a school has not adhered to education law. Mediation is an option schools can offer where they deem it appropriate and necessary to support bringing a resolution to complaints.The department is working and engaging with the sector and parents to understand how the system can be made clearer and simpler, reduce duplication, improve the relationship between schools and families and how this may reduce the number of complaints whilst upholding and maintaining parent and carers rights.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) on the (a) well-being and (b) development of (i) adopted children and (ii) those with Special Guardianship Orders; and if she will consider making the ASGSF permanent.

The impact of the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) on both adopted children and those with Special Guardianship Orders is currently being assessed from multiple angles. The National Institute for Health Research is currently conducting a randomised control trial into dyadic developmental psychotherapy, one of the main therapies the ASGSF funds. Moreover, the department now collects data from outcomes measurement tools for ASGSF-funded therapies. As therapy treatment comes to an end, these data will give an overall picture of the impact and adequacy of individual ASGSF-funded therapies.The Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University carried out a three year evaluation from 2018 to 2021 on behalf of the department. The report found that a high proportion, 83%, of parents and guardians participating in the longitudinal survey found the funded support helpful or very helpful overall. The IPC report also found a 'statistically significant (substantial, with large effect size) improvement in parent and guardian estimates of the extent to which the main aim of the funded support had been met by the end of the intervention’. The report also states that parents and guardians scored on average '7 out of 10 in relation to a question about the extent to which positive change(s) for their child and/or family had been sustained six months since the conclusion of adult skills fundASF-funded support.’ The full report can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6391c41a8fa8f53ba783e8ad/Evaluation_of_the_Adoption_Support_Fund_2018_to_2022_-_summary_.pdf.Announcements on funding for the ASGSF from April 2025 will be made shortly. However, ASGSF applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are agreed, therapy which starts before March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements. Families may access the helpline operated by the department’s ASGSF delivery partner for questions about the ASGSF’s operation.

What steps her Department is taking to support families using the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund; and if she will make an announcement on the future of that fund.

The impact of the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) on both adopted children and those with Special Guardianship Orders is currently being assessed from multiple angles. The National Institute for Health Research is currently conducting a randomised control trial into dyadic developmental psychotherapy, one of the main therapies the ASGSF funds. Moreover, the department now collects data from outcomes measurement tools for ASGSF-funded therapies. As therapy treatment comes to an end, these data will give an overall picture of the impact and adequacy of individual ASGSF-funded therapies.The Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University carried out a three year evaluation from 2018 to 2021 on behalf of the department. The report found that a high proportion, 83%, of parents and guardians participating in the longitudinal survey found the funded support helpful or very helpful overall. The IPC report also found a 'statistically significant (substantial, with large effect size) improvement in parent and guardian estimates of the extent to which the main aim of the funded support had been met by the end of the intervention’. The report also states that parents and guardians scored on average '7 out of 10 in relation to a question about the extent to which positive change(s) for their child and/or family had been sustained six months since the conclusion of adult skills fundASF-funded support.’ The full report can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6391c41a8fa8f53ba783e8ad/Evaluation_of_the_Adoption_Support_Fund_2018_to_2022_-_summary_.pdf.Announcements on funding for the ASGSF from April 2025 will be made shortly. However, ASGSF applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are agreed, therapy which starts before March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements. Families may access the helpline operated by the department’s ASGSF delivery partner for questions about the ASGSF’s operation.

What plans she has to support local authorities to provide activities which promote children’s (a) health, (b) wellbeing and (c) learning during school holidays.

Departmental budgets for 2025/26 will be confirmed in due course, including the exact funding available for this type of support for children, young people and families during the holidays.