Special educational needs and youth justice: How effective is the code of practice at supporting the resettlement population? A conceptual review.

This paper is a conceptual evaluation of the 2014 code of practice for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The focus of the evaluation is the efficacy of the code for the youth justice population of England, with an emphasis on the resettlement cohort of young people leaving prison. The resettlement cohort has a range of complex needs, including SEND. These needs are reflected in the code of practice, which creates statutory expectations regarding SEND support for young people transitioning through resettlement. The paper uses secondary evidence to consider the efficacy of the code of practice. • The code of practice offers no clear framework or guidance for effective practice in resettlement. • Structural and socio-economic factors, relevant to both SEND and resettlement, are not acknowledged by the code of practice. • The conceptual analysis of the code suggests it is underpinned by pathologising discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]