Meetings

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

 

 

Meeting: 19/06/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3.)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/06/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2.11)

2.11 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/06/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4.)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 08/05/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 5)

5 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 08/05/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 5)

5 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 20/03/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

7 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 07/03/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of key issues

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee considered the key issues. A draft report will be considered at a future meeting.

Meeting: 21/02/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 01/02/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the key issues

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the key issues.

Meeting: 17/01/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 11/01/2024 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

7 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 06/12/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 5)

5 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 8)

8 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 13

Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language

Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip

Julie Morgan MS, Deputy Minister for Social Services

Amelia John, Interim Director, Communities & Tackling Poverty, Welsh Government

Nicola Edwards, Deputy Director, Equity in Education Division, Welsh Government

Claire Severn, Head of Early Childhood Education and Care & Childcare, Welsh Government

Rebecca Johnson, Head of Early Childhood Education and Care & Childcare, Welsh Government

Gill Huws-John, Head of the Disability Rights Taskforce, Welsh Government

Louise Brown, Head of Additional Learning Needs Branch, Welsh Government

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee heard evidence from the Welsh Government.

4.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Welsh Government to follow up on some of the issues raised and with the questions that were unasked.

Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 6)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

Meeting: 29/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - presentation of findings from family interviews

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee received a presentation of the findings from the family interviews.

Meeting: 16/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 16/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 12

Dr Nick Wilkinson, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Officer for Wales

Dr Claire Campbell, Royal College of General Practitioners

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from healthcare professionals.

3.2 Dr Claire Campbell declared that she has a child with physical disabilities.

Meeting: 16/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 11

David Davies, Professional Practice Lead for Wales, Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Pippa Cotterill, Head of Wales Office for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Leanne Evans, School Nurse and representing the Royal College of Nursing Wales

Abigail Wright, Senior Specialist Early Years Educational Psychologist and British Psychological Society Educational Psychology Lead for Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from allied health professionals.

Meeting: 16/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 6)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

Meeting: 16/11/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 25/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 8

Sharon Davies, Head of Education, Welsh Local Government Association

Catherine Davies, ALN Policy Officer, Welsh Local Government Association

Gaynor Davies, Director of Education for Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council and representative for the Association of Directors of Education in Wales

Liz Jones, Inclusion Lead for the Vale of Glamorgan Council and representative for the Association of Directors of Education in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from the WLGA and ADEW.

2.2 The WLGA agreed to investigate further how up to date local authority accessibility strategies are.

Meeting: 25/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 9

Catherine Falcus, Policy and Leadership Specialist, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from ASCL.

3.2 ASCL agreed to check if they had any examples of learners with additional needs who have experienced bullying while at school, and if so, to share them with the Committee.

Meeting: 25/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous evidence sessions.

Meeting: 25/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 10

Mary van den Heuvel, Senior Policy Officer Wales, National Education Union (NEU)

Mike O’Neill, National Education Union (NEU) Organising Forum member and NEU representative for Merthyr

Ioan Rhys Jones, General Secretary, Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru (UCAC)

Urtha Felda, Policy and Casework Official, NASUWT

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee heard evidence from UCAC, NASUWT and NEU.

4.2 Mary van den Heuvel from NEU declared that she’s a Member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales Committee.

4.3 NEU agreed to provide Members with its resources on disability inclusion.

 

Meeting: 25/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 5)

5 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 6)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 Members considered the evidence they had heard in the previous sessions.

Meeting: 12/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 6

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Chief Executive, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin

Claire Protheroe, Head of Contracts and Projects, Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years Cymru (PACEY) Cymru

Sarah Coates, National Operations Manager (Wales), National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA Cymru)

Andrea Wright, Lead Manager, Early Years Wales

Jane O'Toole, Chief Executive Officer, Clybiau Plant Cymru

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from childcare providers.

Meeting: 12/10/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 7

Professor Jonathan Rix, Professor of Participation and Learning Support, The Open University

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Professor Rix.

Meeting: 27/09/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2.)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence from the Stakeholder event

Meeting: 27/09/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 1.)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - Stakeholder event [invitee only]

There will be a stakeholder event with organisations and charities that represent or support children and young people and their families.

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 14/09/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare

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Meeting: 14/09/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - update on the inquiry

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee received an update on the inquiry.

7.2 Members agreed additional oral evidence sessions with medical and allied health professionals representatives.

Meeting: 12/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 05/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 05/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 05/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 05/07/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 29/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 1.)

1. Committee Visits

The Committee is undertaking visits to schools for its inquiry into ‘Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?’

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Meeting: 14/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?

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Meeting: 07/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 7)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous evidence sessions.

Meeting: 07/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 5

Karen McFarlane, Policy Officer: Poverty and Vulnerable Children, Children in Wales and Chair of TSANA

Francesca Wright, Assistant Chief Officer, Snap Cymru

Cath Lewis, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Guide Dogs Cymru

Chris Haines, External Affairs Manager, National Autistic Society

George Baldwin, Policy and Campaigns Officer for Wales, National Deaf Children’s Society

Gwen Anslow, All Wales Forum

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee heard evidence from TSANA.

4.2 They agreed to provide examples from Mudiad Meithrin on the barriers to accessing childcare for children who are neurodivergent or who have a learning disability. They also agreed to provide further examples about how accessible the school estate is for learners with all types of disabilities.

 

Meeting: 07/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 4

Zoe Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Learning Disability Wales

Adele Rose Morgan, Inclusive education campaigner, Learning Disability Wales

Georgia Miggins, Youth Parliament Member

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Learning Disability Wales.

3.2 They agreed to provide comments from parents and carers on children with disabilities being able to attend local mainstream school.

3.3 They agreed to submit written responses to any questions not covered.

Meeting: 07/06/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 3

Miranda Evans, Policy and Programmes Manager, Disability Wales

Kat Watkins, UNCRDP Development Officer, Disability Wales

Megan Thomas, Policy and Research Officer, Disability Wales

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from Disability Wales, apologies were received from Miranda Evans who was unable to attend the session.

2.2 Disability Wales agreed to look further into providing information on access to childcare and data on disabled children who have English as a second language.  

Meeting: 18/05/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 6)

Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - consideration of the evidence

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

6.2 Members agreed to follow up on some specific points that were raised with the Welsh Language Commissioner and the Future Generations Commissioner.

Meeting: 18/05/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 2

Ruth Coombs, Head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

3.2 The Commission agreed to contact stakeholders to see what the provision of support to families is like in rural areas.

3.3 The Commission agreed to provide any evidence suggesting families are moving their children into specialist provision due to the waiting times for assessments in mainstream education.

Meeting: 18/05/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 1

Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Sara Jermin, Head of Communications and Performance

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

2.2 The Commissioner agreed to share with the Committee comments from Children and Young People on the impact that discrimination is having on their mental health and wellbeing and how this is affecting the education outcomes of learners.

2.3 The Commissioner agreed to provide when published a joint report with the Welsh Language Commissioner on Welsh-medium provision for those with additional learning needs.

Meeting: 03/05/2023 - Children, Young People and Education Committee (Item 6)

Education access for disabled children and young people - consideration of engagement strategy

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 Members agreed the approach to engage with the Welsh Youth Parliament. They also discussed and agreed the preferred role and output of the online advisory group.

 

 

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