Dear colleagues,

**SEND NEWSFLASH** UK disability survey; details of disability and access ambassadors; schools' SEND publication requirements & update on access to work funding

• An invitation to complete the UK Disability Survey, relating to the forthcoming cross-Government Disability Strategy. The deadline for reply is 13 February, with a fallback of 23 April.
• Details of the recruitment of senior business leaders to take up posts as Disability and Access Ambassadors, with a deadline of 31 January.
• An updated version of our summary of what schools need to or are expected to publish on their websites, including their duties in relation to publishing material on SEN and disability.
• Update on access to work funding remote employability activities post January.

Details of these three items are below. Please do bring this email to the attention of any colleagues with a potential interest.

UK Disability Survey

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit has launched the UK Disability Survey: https://disabilityunit.citizenspace.com/cabinet-office/ukdisabilitysurvey/ .

We want to hear from as many people as possible. We are particularly keen to hear from disabled people, their carers, friends and family; but views from the wider public are also very welcome. The survey will remain open until 23 April. All views will be used to shape the delivery of the plans we set out in the forthcoming Strategy, with those that we receive by 13 February informing the development of the Strategy.

We've tried to make sure the survey, which is hosted on Citizen Space, as accessible as possible. It is available in Easy Read and BSL. Written responses can be sent to: DUCitizenspace@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. A braille version is available on request and blind or partially sighted people who are having difficulty filling in the online survey can email RNIB for advice or support at: campaigns@rnib.org.uk.

Recruitment of Disability and Access Ambassadors

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit is recruiting 14 senior business leaders to take up posts as Disability and Access Ambassadors, joining existing colleagues who cover a raft of private sector industries. We are very keen to attract the right applicants for these posts, which cover Airports, Arts and Culture, Banking, Buses, Creative Industries (including Advertising and Broadcast Media), Energy, Hospitality (Pubs and Restaurants), Housing (Private), Insurance, Rail Travel, Retail, Sports and Physical Activity, Tourism and Universities.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 11:59pm on Sunday 31 January.

See below the links to the Disability and Access Ambassador recruitment advertisement. Please could you pass this news onto anyone with a potential interest, so that we ensure we get the best candidates for the roles.

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit is recruiting 14 senior business leaders to become voluntary Disability and Access Ambassadors in their sectors. If you are a business leader interested in disability issues, please have a look at this opportunity; details are here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-disability-and-access-ambassadors-to-support-rights-of-disabled-consumers

https://twitter.com/DisabilityGovUK/status/1346034659122163713 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6751800195937370112

Duties on and expectations of schools over publishing material online

We have updated our summaries of the material that schools must or should publish online, including in relation to:

• SEN Information Reports, which need to be updated at least annually
• details of how a school complies with the public sector equality duty, with information which needs to be updated every year
• a school’s equality objectives, which need to be updated at least once every four years
• contact details of SENCos

Schools will also typically wish to publish the Accessibility Plan, that they have to update at least once every three years. Information as to that Plan needs to be included in their SEN Information Report.

There are no changes to the law and our guidance on publishing of the above, but in the updates of our summaries we have sought to bring together all the relevant material in one place and to set it out clearly.

We invite Heads, SENCOs and governors/trustees to consider whether the above material on their websites remains up to date.

The relevant links to our summaries of the requirements and expectations of schools are:

• for maintained schools, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online
• for academies/free schools,   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-academies-free-schools-and-colleges-should-publish-online

Access to work funding for remote employability activities post January 2021

We are waiting for a ministerial decision on the continuation of Access to Work funding for remote employability activities post January 2021. We expect to receive the decision very shortly, but until then you can continue to use Access to Work funding for remote employability activities.

Special Education Needs Division