A Personal Budget can offer families greater flexibility and choice about how their child or young person is supported to achieve the outcomes within their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). A Personal Budget is an agreed amount of money identified by the local authority that is needed to deliver provision that is set out in the child’s EHCP. Instead of the local authority arranging the provision for the child, the parent or young person can be directly involved in securing this provision themselves.
1. This is guidance from the Department for Education (DfE). This guidance is statutory, and schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities must have regard to it as part of their efforts to maintain high levels of school attendance[1].
EBSA refers to a child or young person experiencing persistent emotional difficulties or psychological distress when at school, often then leading to an understandable and natural coping strategy to school avoidance. It is essential to differentiate EBSA from simple truancy, as EBSA is rooted in school anxiety or other emotional challenges that impact a child's ability to cope with the school environment. Similarly, there is a move away from the term ‘School Refusal’ since this indicates that there is simple choice to not attend school. By recognising these underlying emotional factors, we can develop a comprehensive approach to address and support these students. In doing so, we’re primarily helping them to feel safe and secure in school, with any increases in attendance simply being enabled by improved wellbeing in school.
Please visit IPSEA website for more information

