Mark Whitehead 21 June 2023

Children with special needs support plan has more than doubled

Children with special needs support plan has more than doubled image
Image: Lightspring/Shutterstock.com

The number of children with a special needs support plan has more than doubled in the last eight, driving up local authority funding shortfalls to 'unmanageable levels', according to council leaders.

A record half a million pupils have an education, health and care plan setting out their special educational needs, analysis by the County Councils Network shows.

The network says government changes announced earlier this year to address the growing crisis in the special educational needs and disabilities system will do nothing to 'stem the tide of demand'.

The analysis shows there are currently 517,026 pupils with special needs plans in England, more than double the total in 2015.

Last year, a record 66,356 children and young people started new EHCP plans according to the CCN, equivalent to an average of 182 children a day.

Liz Brighouse, CCN spokesperson for special educational needs and disabilities (Send), said that despite the government’s reforms package outlining some important changes which are beginning to be implemented, demand has continued to rise sharply.

'We remain concerned that these reforms will not stem the tide of demand that local authorities are facing, and whilst the legislative changes in 2014 were right in that they expanded eligibility and raised parental expectations, councils have increasingly been left to pick up the bill, which has increased their deficits to unmanageable levels.

'Action is needed urgently to address this, and we are calling on government to fully fund these reforms and ensure that councils do not continue to accrue significant deficits that would be impossible to pay down without insolvency.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Business Support Officer - Finance

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£31,524 - £32,931
Street Services is seeking a Business Support Officer (Finance) to join its busy Business Support Team. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Business Support Officer - Budgetary Control

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£31,524 - £32,931
Street Services is seeking a Business Support Officer (Budgetary Control) to join its busy Business Support Team. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Assistant Business & Transformation Manager

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£44,331 to £47,532
This role offers a unique opportunity to manage critical business functions while driving digital transformation across a vital public service. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

GDA Apprentice - Trades

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£27,345 - £27,345
GDA Apprentice Various Trades - work, earn and learn Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Bilingual Education Officer Dari/Pashto

Durham County Council
Grade 7 £29,093 - £32,654 (pro rata to hours worked)
Bilingual Education Officer – 18.5 hours per week, term time only, temporary until 31st March 2026. We wish to appoint a part-time, Bilingual Educati Spennymoor
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner

Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.