Learning Disability Today
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham
25 Cecil Pashley Way
Shoreham-by-Sea
West Sussex
BN43 5FF
United Kingdom
T: 01273 434943
Contacts
Alison Bloomer
Managing Editor
[email protected]
[email protected]
Local authority councils are reporting a “very significant surge” in demand for education, health and care plan (EHCP) assessments, as parents seek to secure an EHCP before new SEND legislation takes effect in 2029 and a new tiered system is introduced.
The report SEND reform: putting children and young people first – The view from local government on impact and implementation, by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the County Councils Network (CCN), found that, in some cases, assessments were up to a third higher than in previous months.
It adds that if this continues, there is a very real risk that, by the time the legislation takes effect, EHCP numbers will have “vastly outstripped” the Government’s current growth projections for the next three years.
The LGA and CNN are now urging the Government to commit to absorbing any rising costs and to provide greater clarity on future SEND funding beyond 2028 as soon as possible.
Significant existing challenges in the SEND system
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: “We are pleased government acted on the calls of councils and set out comprehensive and ambitious reforms to improve the educational outcomes of children and young people with SEND. However, as this report highlights, while the reforms have been largely well-received, there remain significant and very live challenges within the existing SEND system.
“Building the foundations for a new model that meets children’s needs, while working within a broken system that continues to fail them risks undermining the delivery of the reforms. It is vital government works closely with councils, not just to deliver the reforms but to tackle the present challenges in the system.”
Other findings from the report include that eight in 10 councils believe government SEND reforms would lead to better outcomes for children and young people. However, less than half (43 per cent) felt the reforms would lead to a more financially sustainable system or were confident that their local partners, such as health and schools, would have the capacity.
Related Posts
The government should not ‘cherry-pick’ reform changes
As a result, councils say it is vital that the Government works closely with them to deliver the reforms, with all partners clearly accountable. This should include clear incentives to ensure that all schools are rewarded for inclusive practice and held to account when found not to be inclusive.
Whilst local authorities believe the proposals, taken together, are coherent and right – they say they will only work if enacted together. Ministers must resist the temptation to ‘cherry-pick’ the simpler changes whilst avoiding those that may be more difficult.
Cllr Bill Revans, SEND Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, added: “This survey is an important stock-take on what councils think about the government’s important SEND reforms. The clear consensus is that they could lead to better outcomes and experiences for young people, even if the immediate future remains very challenging, as this report highlights.
“However, councils are clear that the changes only work as a whole. Ministers must resist the temptation to cherry pick the simpler changes and avoid the more difficult ones, otherwise we run the risk of simply repeating a system that is not working for young people, councils and schools alike.
“Whilst a commitment to fund SEND costs after 2028 is welcome, the announcement still remains light on detail. Put simply, councils should never be placed in the situation whereby they accrue eye-watering deficits due to national policy changes again. In recognition that this is a ten-year change programme, government must set out how it intends to absorb any deficits accrued after 2028 and extreme rises in demand.”
