Targeted Support

Our vision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is the same as for all children and young people – that they achieve well in their early years, at school and in college; they find employment; lead happy, fulfilled lives; and experience choice and control. Despite the ambitious reforms introduced under the 2014 Children and Families act, key challenges remain in delivering SEND services in line with the vision. These reforms have largely not translated into improved outcomes for children and young people and increased demand for SEND services is putting local authority SEND budgets under unsustainable pressure leading to a rise in budget deficits exacerbated by widespread variation in the quality and timeliness of service provision to children, young people and their families. Currently, 600,000 children and young people with SEND live in the 50% of local areas identified by Ofsted and CQC as having significant weaknesses in their SEND services; and the position on DSG deficits is worsening - in 2019-20, 91 LAs reported a deficit totalling around £675m (compared to around £250m at end of 2018-19). By 2024-25, we are forecasting LA cost pressures for high needs will have increased by 29%, compared to the allocated funding in 2021-22, to £10,450m. This situation has been compounded by COVID-19 which has severely impacted children and young people with SEND and their families.