Council moves forward with SEND provision plan

A council has agreed to move forward with its plans to reform its provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) said it hoped it would result in "fewer children reaching crisis point" and is part of a national programme to strengthen local systems and address growing demand.

It needs to submit its plans to the government by 19 June in order to unlock funding to address its current deficit of £45m.

Councils have a legal duty to identify and support children with special educational needs but rising demand in recent years has meant they have been spending more than they receive from the government.

The authority's executive met on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming deadline to submit its plan in response to the government's proposed SEND reforms in its schools white paper.

These must show how local authority services will better meet the needs of children and young people by expanding inclusive practice and SEND provision in mainstream education, improving earlier intervention and access to support, and driving system-wide improvement, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

NNC is estimated to have accrued a cumulative deficit of £45m on its education balance books, as the cost and demand for alternative provision and specialist school places have increased each year.

The government announced earlier this year that 90% of councils' historic Dedicated Schools Grant deficits up to 2025-26 would be wiped out if their reform plans are approved by the Department for Education (DfE).

Elizabeth Wright, the council's Reform UK executive member for education, said approval of a local plan was "critical financially" as well as to improve support for children and young people with SEND.

"If we get this right, the outcome should be fewer children reaching crisis point, more support available closer to home and a system that works better for families from the outset," she added.

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