LPCF Consultations

Daisy Study

Researchers are exploring whether a digital parent support program called Stepping Stones Online can help behaviours that challenge in children with a learning disability or developmental delay. This study is called The Digital Family Support study - DAISY.
Stepping Stones Online is an online program for parent carers of a child with a learning disability. It covers:
• Learning strategies to make everyday life easier
• Supporting communication and everyday skills for children
• Positive ways to support behaviours that challenge
• Building your confidence in parenting

Who Can Take Part?
We are looking for parent carers who:
• Live in England
• Have a child aged 2–11 years with a learning disability or developmental delay
What Participation Involves:
Once parent carers complete the screening process and are eligible for the study, they’ll be asked to provide consent to take part. Parent carers will then be asked to complete a set of questionnaires about themselves and their family. This information is kept securely on a protected database which only members of the research management team can access.

Parent carers will then be randomly put into one of two groups. Half of study participants will be given access to Stepping Stones Online, and the other half will continue with the support they usually receive. This will help the research team measure the effectiveness of Stepping Stones Online. After the study, participants who did not access Stepping Stones Online will be offered access.

See here for further details

£6,000 High Needs Threshold Consultation

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the £6,000 High Needs Threshold.
The proposals explore changing how SEND funding is distributed between mainstream schools and local authorities. The aim is to provide mainstream schools and academies with a greater share of SEND funding upfront, enabling support to be put in place earlier without relying as heavily on top-up funding from the high needs budget.
Local authorities would be able to choose whether to introduce this approach from 2027/28, ahead of wider national funding reforms planned for 2029/30.
You can access the consultation here:

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Friday 18 September 2026.

SEND Reform: Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) Consultation

The DfE are seeking views on how to strengthen arrangements for:
• children and young people receiving special educational provision through an education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) arrangement
• not attending school and receiving alternative provision because of health reasons
• receiving alternative provision in accredited online education providers

They want to understand how:

• support can be improved
• responsibilities should be clarified
• provision can be better quality-assured
• We are also seeking views on how arrangements can support improved outcomes. This includes progression and, where appropriate, reintegration.

They would like to hear from:

• children and young people
• parents and carers
• early years settings
• schools and trusts
• local authorities
• further education settings
• sector organisations
LPCF will be collecting parents views and responding on behalf of the membership.
Please feel free to reply individually.
The Department for Education has published a series of fact sheets to accompany the Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) and Upfront funding for mainstream schools consultations.

These resources explain the proposals in more detail and are intended to help parents, carers and professionals understand the consultation before sharing their views:

Please see the Consultation document
Please see link to the consultation

Closes 18th September 2026