Most councils believe government plans to reform support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will improve outcomes, a report has found.
However, the research – commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and County Councils Network (CCN) – found fewer than half think the changes will create a financially sustainable system.
The government’s proposals would replace Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), with a new tiered system of support.
The report, based on responses from 54 councils, found 81% believed the reforms would lead to better outcomes for children and young people with SEND, while 94% said they would encourage earlier intervention.
Although, it also warned that councils are already seeing rising demand for EHCP assessments ahead of the planned reforms.
Some authorities reported requests running around a third higher than expected, with families seeking to secure plans before any changes take effect.
Researchers said there was a ‘very real risk’ that the number of children and young people with ECHPs could exceed government growth forecasts before legislation is introduced in 2029.
Councils are calling on ministers to provide greater clarity over how SEND services will be funded after 2028 and whether additional costs caused by rising demand will be covered by central government.
The report found that while 87% of councils were confident they had the capacity to deliver the reforms, fewer than half were confident that local partners, including schools and health services, could do the same.
Amanda Hopgood, chair of the LGA’s children, young people and families board, said the reforms had been ‘largely well-received’ but warned there were still ‘significant and very live challenges’ within the current system.
She said: ‘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.’
Bill Revans, SEND spokesperson for the CCN, 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,’ he continued. ‘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.’
Image: Shelby Murphy Figueroa
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