Major reforms introduced a decade ago have failed to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a report has found.
Commissioned by the County Councils Network (CCN) and the Local Government Association, the report by research and advisory firm Isos Partnership concluded that the current SEND system is not working for families, schools or councils.
This is despite significant SEND reform in 2014 and the fact that spending by councils is set to triple from £4bn in 2015 to £12bn by 2026.
To meet this demand in 2026, local authorities will face a £5bn funding gap – and while a temporary statutory override is keeping this deficit off their balance books until then, half of councils said they would cease to be solvent within three years if the override were to end tomorrow.
The report also concluded that the current SEND system creates ‘perverse incentives’ to shift responsibility between public bodies and is weighed down by an over-reliance on special schools due to a loss of parental confidence in the mainstream system.
It found a ‘strong consensus’ for radical reform that focusses on meeting the needs of more SEND children in mainstream education.
CCN chairman Tim Oliver said: ‘The SEND system is broken.
‘As this landmark report shows, the case for reform is unquestionable.
‘With a new government in place and elected on a “change” platform, it is vital that reform happens over the next 18 months.’
