UK councils implement reforms to improve SEND support

Local councils in the United Kingdom are implementing reforms to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

In Somerset, the council reported rapid improvements in managing school transfers for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Following a £5.3 million investment aimed at reducing assessment backlogs and supporting phased transfers, officials stated that all children requiring transfers for Year 6 and Year 11 will have successful placements by the October half term. This follows a period of high pressure where significant percentages of students lacked finalized placements for the September term.

Warwickshire County Council has introduced a Local SEND Reform Plan focused on earlier intervention and increased specialist capacity. The council is recruiting 48 frontline professionals, including speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. To address placement shortages, Warwickshire has increased its Resourced Provision from 168 to 448 places over the last three years, with plans to add over 300 more by 2029. Additionally, the council aims to increase the proportion of EHC plans completed within statutory timescales and halve the number of children waiting over three years for an ADHD diagnosis by 2029.