Today – 15th January 2025, The UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and the Education Select Committee have issued a damning report on the state of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, warning that it is “in disarray” and risks leaving a “lost generation” of children without the support they desperately need.
The report paints a bleak picture of a system plagued by chronic underfunding, excessive delays, and a lack of joined-up thinking between health, education, and social care services. Children with SEND and their families are facing a postcode lottery of support, with significant variations in the quality and availability of services depending on where they live.
Key findings of the report include:
- Unacceptable delays: Children are facing lengthy waits for assessments, diagnoses, and the provision of crucial support services, such as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). These delays can have a devastating impact on children’s education, mental health, and social development.
- Funding crisis: Local authorities are struggling to cope with rising demand for SEND support, exacerbated by chronic underfunding. This has led to significant cuts to vital services and a growing number of families resorting to legal action to secure the support their children are entitled to.
- Fragmentation of services: Poor communication and coordination between different agencies involved in supporting children with SEND, such as health, education, and social care, result in fragmented and inconsistent support. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and ultimately, poorer outcomes for children.
- Complex and inaccessible system: The SEND system itself is overly complex and bureaucratic, making it difficult for families to navigate and understand. This can lead to significant stress and anxiety for families who are already facing immense challenges.
The committees have made a series of recommendations to address these issues, including:
- Increased funding: The government must significantly increase funding for the SEND system to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to meet the needs of children with SEND.
- Improved early intervention: Early identification and intervention are crucial to prevent long-term negative outcomes for children with SEND. The government must invest in early years services and ensure that all children with SEND have access to high-quality support from an early age.
- Streamlined processes: The SEND system needs to be simplified and streamlined to reduce delays and improve access to support. This could include digitizing processes, reducing bureaucracy, and improving communication between agencies.
- Increased accountability: Clearer accountability measures are needed to ensure that local authorities and other agencies are meeting their obligations to children with SEND. This could include regular reviews of SEND provision and the introduction of performance targets.
The report concludes with a stark warning that urgent action is needed to reform the SEND system. Failure to do so will have serious and long-lasting consequences for a generation of children.
This report highlights the urgent need for the government to take decisive action to address the crisis in the SEND system. The future of countless children depends on it.
Read the report in full here – https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmpubacc/353/report.html
