EARLY INTERVENTION THROUGH PLAY FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX NEEDS

That this House welcomes the report from the charity Sense, Making the Case for Play; notes that early intervention through play is vitally important for children with complex needs and their families, and brings a wide range of developmental and emotional benefits; regrets that children with complex needs face significant barriers to accessing play, such as a chronic lack of accessible settings, a substantial additional financial cost when seeking to secure play opportunities, and the poor training of staff and negative attitudes of other parents; and calls on the Government to ensure there is a nationwide policy of funding for children with special educational needs in early years education, with notional funding being provided for settings to invest in accessible premises and staff training.