Councils suggest SEND system may totally collapse without major reform to services

New research suggests the SEND system is on course for total collapse with local authorities facing ‘unimaginable’ deficits of £18bn by the end of this Parliament.

The report, published by the County Councils Network (CCN), finds that despite councils investing £30bn more on SEND services over the last decade, educational outcomes have not improved whilst families feel increasingly negative about the system.

The CCN is calling for ministers to undertake a ‘two-pronged approach’ to prevent the system from collapse. This should include wiping councils’ deficits alongside root and branch change to the SEND system.

The research suggests that failure to genuinely address the structural issues within the system will see costs continue to outstrip available funding, even if deficits are cleared, with councils on course to be re-accruing debt at the rate of £4.4bn per year across England on their SEND services by 2029 if nothing changes.

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Chair of the County Councils Network, said the “research shows the system is heading towards total collapse in little over four years. This could mean families facing even longer waits for support, councils facing a level of demand that the system was never designed for, and local authorities staring down unimaginable deficits of almost £18bn.

“Now is the time to be bold and act decisively: government cannot keep ducking reform and ministers must use the delay to set out comprehensive and long-lasting change to the system.”

Read the full report here.