The Welsh Government has consulted on plans to reform Additional Learning Needs in Wales. Sense Cymru supports and campaigns for deafblind children and young people (also known as Multi-Sensory-Impaired children and young people). In October 2012 Sense Cymru and RNIB Cymru co-signed a response to the Welsh Government’s consultation.

Submission date: 18 March 2013

Sense welcomes the overall aims of the Children and Families Bill. However, Sense considers that several clauses within the Bill should be strengthened to ensure that the provisions made will meet the specific needs of deafblind children and their families.

Sense believes that the principle behind the UK Government’s proposed special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms in England is sound. We want to see a better system that meets the needs of multi-sensory impaired children, young people and families.

Supporting Success is informed by the views and experiences of parents and practitioners. It looks at some of the key issues that need to be addressed to deliver an effective SEND system for deafblind / multi-sensory impaired children and young people and sets out five key principles that need to be met for reform to be successful.

This report is the second in the Supporting Success series. Its predecessor – Supporting Success: improving the journey for deafblind/multi-sensory-impaired children and young people – was based upon research carried out in 2011 and 2012 with children, young people, parents, practitioners and local authorities.

This report is a record of discussions at the SEND Policy Roundtable Event on 14 June, 2012 – where the first report was launched in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal and Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children and Families.

This event provided an opportunity for parents, professionals, local authority representatives, civil servants and colleagues from the voluntary sector to discuss the challenges – and possible solutions – to providing better support for deafblind/MSI children and young people.

The members of the Additional Needs Alliance are NDCS Cymru, Contact a Family, RNIB Cymru, Mencap Cymru, National Autistic Society Cymru, Learning Disability Wales, Autism Cymru, Sense, Children in Wales, Afasic Cymru, Barnardo’s, SNAP Cymru, Down’s Syndrome Association and Scope Cymru.