Section 19: reason of illness
Provision for children who experience a period of ill health, be that physical illness or poor mental health, is a responsibility that encompasses all education professionals, including those working in schools, school support teams and the local authority. Each has a part to play in supporting children to access their statutory right to education.
What provision is needed for a child who is too ill to attend school is ultimately for the local authority to decide after considering a range of advice and information provided by parents, schools and involved professionals.
Arranging alternative provision for children that are too ill to attend school falls within the Section 19 duty. The local authority discharges this duty via a multi-agency Medical Support Panel (MSP) and the Pupil Reintegration Team (PRT).
Schools refer to MSP where a multi-agency panel will consider all the information across school, medical professionals, and parent/carer and cyp voice. MSP will provide advice and next steps for the school to put in place. The PRT will lead and facilitate the work with the school and the family to assess any underlying medical needs and recommend reasonable adjustments and provision to meet those needs in relation to physical health needs, mental health needs and as part of Lincolnshire Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) Pathway. This includes involving relevant professionals and agencies such as medical practitioners, mental health support and agencies, Early Help, social care, the Working Together Team, the Attendance Team, and the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Team (for child and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan). Where appropriate they will also provide information for schools around referrals to the Medical Support Panel.
If medical evidence is not readily available, the PRT will consider liaising with involved medical professionals, such as consultants or the child’s GP to gather this.
For children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan the SEND Team will lead and facilitate the work. They will identify the appropriate route, including whether arranging an early annual review of the child’s EHC plan is necessary. This will enable any updates to the EHC plan to be considered, including how the setting is utilising the SEND funding to meet need and provide reasonably accessible education and ensuring the provision detailed in Section F of the EHC plan remains appropriate.
Lincolnshire’s Medical Needs Policy outlines the support available, when and how provision may be arranged if needed, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the local authority, schools, parents/carers, service providers and other agencies.