Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is clear that healthcare provision is only deemed to be special educational provision if it educates or trains a child or young person. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, as set out in paragraph 9.74 of the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Schools are not responsible for clinical healthcare tasks. Healthcare tasks can be delegated to staff in schools and other education settings where the responsible healthcare professional considers delegation safe and appropriate. While training may be necessary as part of delegation arrangements, it does not of itself transfer responsibility. The department is working with the Department for Health and Social care to produce guidance on clinical healthcare in schools.

Local authorities and integrated care boards must work together to put joint commissioning arrangements in place to ensure sufficient services and provision are available to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, both those with education, health and care plans and those without. This would include children and young people with cerebral palsy.

Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is clear that healthcare provision is only deemed to be special educational provision if it educates or trains a child or young person. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, as set out in paragraph 9.74 of the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Schools are not responsible for clinical healthcare tasks. Healthcare tasks can be delegated to staff in schools and other education settings where the responsible healthcare professional considers delegation safe and appropriate. While training may be necessary as part of delegation arrangements, it does not of itself transfer responsibility. The department is working with the Department for Health and Social care to produce guidance on clinical healthcare in schools.

Local authorities and integrated care boards must work together to put joint commissioning arrangements in place to ensure sufficient services and provision are available to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, both those with education, health and care plans and those without. This would include children and young people with cerebral palsy.

The department wants every child to have the best start in life, with help available earlier and locally when families need it.

Children with the most complex needs will receive support through education, health and care (EHC) plans backed by Specialist Provision Packages. We are appointing an independent expert panel to develop the full packages in discussion with families and professionals working across education and healthcare.

We are investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer. This is designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings by providing access to support from key services and health and specialist education practitioners including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists (including assistant or trainees) and specialist teachers, both local authority based and those in specialist or Alternative Provision settings. This will benefit many children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including some children with cerebral palsy attending mainstream settings, by improving the support available within those settings.

Alongside this on 16 January the department announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND.

We recognise that cerebral palsy is not just a childhood condition, and we are committed to ensuring that people living with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services at all stages of their life, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive lives.

NHS England has worked with key stakeholders to develop a framework to aid integrated care systems to commission high-quality services for children and young people with cerebral palsy, including as they transition to adult services.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on cerebral palsy in under 25 year olds includes recommendations on the transition from children’s to adult services and stresses the requirement to ensure that an individual's developmental, social, and health needs are addressed when planning and delivering transition.

The NICE guidance also sets out key considerations to be made around transition planning, including clear pathways involving both the young person's general practice and named clinicians in adult services, ensuring sufficient training for professionals involved in care, clear communication at each point of transition, and a named worker to support continuity of care.

This is further reiterated in the service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which was updated by NHS England in August 2025. It sets out the pathway for transition from paediatric to adult for patients with neurological conditions that are diagnosed in childhood, such as cerebral palsy. It states that adequate planning and support is required to ensure continuity of care. The process should ensure that young people are equal partners in planning and decision-making and that their preferences and wishes are central throughout transition. There should be close collaboration between paediatric and adult neurology services to ensure effective transition.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people living with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services throughout their lives, enabling them to fulfil their potential and lead healthy, productive lives.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The NICE guidance recommends that commissioners and service providers should develop pathways that allow adults with cerebral palsy access to local networks of care, with access to multi-disciplinary team and specialist neurology services. The guidance also recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities. This review should consider mobility, communication, pain, mental and physical health, and any new or changing support needs.

In August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services. The specification defines standards and care pathways for neurological conditions like cerebral palsy. The specification also requires systems to organise services on a population‑health basis, ensuring that patients have equitable access to general and specialist neurology services and that care is provided as close to home as possible, with oversight from multidisciplinary teams.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a vision for a health and care system that delivers more personalised, integrated, and proactive care for people with long-term and complex conditions, including cerebral palsy. By 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have an agreed personal care plan. These will promote shared decision-making and access to personal health budgets, giving individuals more choice and control over therapies, equipment, and support tailored to their needs. Additionally, integrated neighbourhood health teams will bring together professionals across disciplines to deliver joined-up care for people with long-term conditions, including cerebral palsy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people living with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services throughout their lives, enabling them to fulfil their potential and lead healthy, productive lives.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The NICE guidance recommends that commissioners and service providers should develop pathways that allow adults with cerebral palsy access to local networks of care, with access to multi-disciplinary team and specialist neurology services. The guidance also recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities. This review should consider mobility, communication, pain, mental and physical health, and any new or changing support needs.

In August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services. The specification defines standards and care pathways for neurological conditions like cerebral palsy. The specification also requires systems to organise services on a population‑health basis, ensuring that patients have equitable access to general and specialist neurology services and that care is provided as close to home as possible, with oversight from multidisciplinary teams.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a vision for a health and care system that delivers more personalised, integrated, and proactive care for people with long-term and complex conditions, including cerebral palsy. By 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have an agreed personal care plan. These will promote shared decision-making and access to personal health budgets, giving individuals more choice and control over therapies, equipment, and support tailored to their needs. Additionally, integrated neighbourhood health teams will bring together professionals across disciplines to deliver joined-up care for people with long-term conditions, including cerebral palsy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people living with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services throughout their lives, enabling them to fulfil their potential and lead healthy, productive lives.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The NICE guidance recommends that commissioners and service providers should develop pathways that allow adults with cerebral palsy access to local networks of care, with access to multi-disciplinary team and specialist neurology services. The guidance also recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities. This review should consider mobility, communication, pain, mental and physical health, and any new or changing support needs.

In August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services. The specification defines standards and care pathways for neurological conditions like cerebral palsy. The specification also requires systems to organise services on a population‑health basis, ensuring that patients have equitable access to general and specialist neurology services and that care is provided as close to home as possible, with oversight from multidisciplinary teams.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a vision for a health and care system that delivers more personalised, integrated, and proactive care for people with long-term and complex conditions, including cerebral palsy. By 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have an agreed personal care plan. These will promote shared decision-making and access to personal health budgets, giving individuals more choice and control over therapies, equipment, and support tailored to their needs. Additionally, integrated neighbourhood health teams will bring together professionals across disciplines to deliver joined-up care for people with long-term conditions, including cerebral palsy.

The Schools White Paper and SEND consultation document published earlier this year set out our proposed changes to improve help and support for children and young people with SEND across the 0 to 25 years system.

During the 12‑week consultation period, the department delivered an expanded and coordinated engagement programme to ensure we listened to children and young people, families and the sector. This included:

• ​Nine regional events, opened by ministers.
• ​24 children and young people–led sessions, which included young people with a range of special educational needs and disabilities including autism, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy.
• ​Six information webinars for health, education, local authority leaders, social care and parent carers.

Together, these strands ensured broad, balanced and representative engagement while following consultation principles around transparency, accessibility and fairness.

The department is now reviewing consultation responses alongside feedback from the events.

Our reforms are still proposals and not final decisions. We are continuing to listen and carefully reviewing feedback before setting out the government's response and next steps. The lived experience and insights shared by young people, families and professionals will play a central role in shaping the next stage of these reforms.

The Government is committed to making sure that people with cerebral palsy receive quality care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The guidance recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities. This review should consider mobility, communication, pain, mental and physical health, participation, and any new or changing support needs.

While NICE guidelines are not mandatory, they reflect best practice, and the Government expects healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time. Recommendations in NICE guidance are based on rigorous clinical and economic evidence and ensure that services are both clinically effective and cost‑effective, and support more consistent, sustainable care across the country.

Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Minister for Equalities work closely together on issues relating to disability, health inequalities and access to services. Officials will continue to engage across Government to ensure that national policy recognises the needs of young adults with cerebral palsy and that systems across the National Health Service support equitable access to appropriate care, regardless of whether an individual has a diagnosed learning disability.

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that young adults with cerebral palsy, including those without a diagnosed learning disability, can access appropriate, high‑quality services that meet their individual needs.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local populations and for commissioning the necessary services, including specialist neurodisability, therapy, community rehabilitation, and wider support for people with cerebral palsy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a guideline for adults with cerebral palsy, reference code NG119. The guideline recommends regular reviews of clinical and functional needs, clear care pathways, and access to multi-disciplinary teams and specialist neurology services. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

ICBs are expected to take full account of NICE guidance when designing and commissioning services for their local populations. NICE guidelines provide authoritative, evidence‑based recommendations on best practice, including clinical and cost‑effectiveness considerations. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a vision for a health and care system that delivers more personalised, integrated, and proactive care for people with long-term and complex conditions, including those with cerebral palsy but no diagnosed learning disability. By 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have an agreed personal care plan. These will promote shared decision-making and access to personal health budgets, giving individuals more choice and control over therapies, equipment, and support tailored to their needs. Additionally, integrated neighbourhood health teams will bring together professionals across disciplines to deliver joined-up care for people with cerebral palsy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people living with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services throughout their lives, enabling them to fulfil their potential and lead healthy, productive lives.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a guideline for adults with cerebral palsy, code NG119. The guideline recommends regular reviews of clinical and functional needs, clear care pathways, and access to multi-disciplinary teams and specialist neurology services. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a vision for a health and care system that delivers more personalised, integrated, and proactive care for people with long-term and complex conditions, including cerebral palsy. By 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have an agreed personal care plan. These will promote shared decision-making and access to personal health budgets, giving individuals more choice and control over therapies, equipment, and support tailored to their needs. Additionally, integrated neighbourhood health teams will bring together professionals across disciplines to deliver joined-up care for people with cerebral palsy.

Limitation periods set statutory time limits within which a party must bring a civil claim, or give notice of a claim, to the other party in a dispute. For negligence resulting in personal injury (which would include clinical negligence claims) the limitation period is normally three years from the date of the alleged negligence or the date of the claimant’s knowledge of damage, whichever is later.

However, under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980, this period can be extended at the court’s discretion, if it appears that it would be equitable (fair and reasonable) to all parties to allow an action to proceed.

The Government has no plans to reform the law, and has had no discussions with Scope but they are welcome to write to me if they want to set out any specific concerns.

Limitation periods set statutory time limits within which a party must bring a civil claim, or give notice of a claim, to the other party in a dispute. For negligence resulting in personal injury (which would include clinical negligence claims) the limitation period is normally three years from the date of the alleged negligence or the date of the claimant’s knowledge of damage, whichever is later.

However, under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980, this period can be extended at the court’s discretion, if it appears that it would be equitable (ie. fair and reasonable) to all parties to allow an action to proceed.

The Government has no plans to reform the law in this area.