Chancellor announces £1bn boost to SEND funding

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has announced a major cash boost to the SEND system in her Autumn budget with funding to increase by over £1 billion.  The funding will also be used to improve alternative education for those not in mainstream schools and represents the second ever largest year-on-year increase in this area.

The news has been widely welcomed with Louise Gittens, Chair of the Local Government Association saying “ It is encouraging that the Chancellor has responded today by providing £1.3 billion extra funding for the next financial year, which will help meet some – but not all – of the significant pressures in adult and children’s social care and homelessness support.

She warns, however that the extra funding also “now needs to be followed by fundamental reform of the SEND system, focusing on improving inclusion in mainstream settings and writing off councils’ high needs deficits.”

Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has also welcomed the news but added “This must go hand in hand with a bold plan for reforming the SEND and healthcare systems focused on children's needs, not just their diagnosis.”