Councils have raised a raft of concerns around the Government’s plans to overhaul the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

Timescales involved, accountability of local government, and whether the reforms will improve the financial sustainability of services, are among areas of concerns, according to a survey of 54 councils published by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the County Councils Network (CCN).

The Government’s overhaul of the SEND system was unveiled in its Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper in February this year. It includes replacing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which legally guarantee support for children, with a new tiered system.

But less than half (43%) of councils believe the Government’s overhaul of the SEND system will ‘lead to a more financially sustainable system’.

More clarity around accountability of local government amid the reforms is also needed, say councils.

Just over half believe reform will improve partnership working and less than two in five believe that it ‘would lead to a role for local government that was clear, achievable and would add value’.

The LGA and CNN say council accountability ‘is a dimension of the reform programme where there is still more work to be done’.

The Government’s reform agenda is being phased in with timelines for delivery over the next decade.

Just under half of councils believe the timescales involved are ‘too ambitious’, particularly elements around providing specialist support to children and boosting inclusion in the early years sector.  

But one in five believe the timescales involved are ‘too slow’ and feel ‘frustratingly sluggish’.

Another concern raised by some councils is a ‘very significant surge’ in demand for EHCP assessments from families before they are replaced by legislation in 2029. In some cases, requests for assessments were a third higher.

The LGA and CNN warn that if this trend continues there is a ‘very real risk’ that the number of children with a plan in place may have ‘vastly outstripped’ the Government’s current growth projections.

Despite concerns raised, four in five councils believe the reforms will ‘lead to better outcomes for children and young people’.

‘While the reforms have been largely well-received, there remain significant and very live challenges within the existing SEND system’, warned Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA's Children, Young People and Families Committee.

Cllr Bill Revans, SEND spokesperson for the CCN, called on the Government ‘to set out how it intends to absorb’ deficits accrued by councils and ‘extreme rises in demand’.