How can the autumn budget support SEND reform
As the Autumn Budget approaches, if every child matters, then money must be found to make the rights of disabled children a reality. Every child should have an equal opportunity to play, learn, grow and thrive.
Since being elected, the Government has acknowledged that support for children with special educational needs is in crisis and has been for some time. They have stated that there will be no quick fixes and the SEND system will need longer term reform.
We welcome the Government’s admission that the challenges facing SEND children and families are enormous, and that the current SEND system is not working for them. The Prime Minister himself stated that children with SEND have been failed for too long and reiterated his Government’s ambition to fix the foundations to ensure that every child can achieve their full potential.
Here are some commitments that we will be looking out for in the Budget as signs that the Government’s decisions can support both immediate fixes plus long term reforms, to provide a much needed reset of the SEND system.
1. Redeploy existing SEND funding, investing it earlier in the system
Evidence shows that investment in early intervention provision across a range of areas including education, social care and early help (including parenting support), can greatly improve life outcomes for children with SEND, as well as mitigating the risk of disabled children, young people and their families falling into crisis later.
The longer needs remain unmet, the greater the risk of escalation, resulting in higher spending on crisis care. We therefore urge the Government to review where and how funding for SEND provision is being allocated with the benefits of investing in preventative and ‘early help’ schemes in mind.
2. Deliver a budget that enables inclusion in every mainstream school
The Government has said that improving inclusivity in mainstream schools is going to be a first step towards tackling the SEND crisis.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to improving inclusion and expertise in mainstream schools as we know that most children with SEND attend mainstream schools (with less than 10% attending special schools), and that inclusive education is beneficial for academic achievement and social skills development.
If this is to be a reality, it means timely investment in the workforce, with training for all teachers and wider education professionals in SEND. This will be essential to developing truly inclusive educational settings. It also means investment in the resources needed to provide inclusive education.
3. Increase funding for local authorities, to safeguard disabled children’s services
Despite having made £3bn in savings, across the UK, local authorities still face a £5.7bn shortfall by 2026. This is unsustainable and without a rapid resolution to the funding crises which councils face, we are likely to see further cuts to essential services for children with SEND.
We urge the Government to provide local authorities with the funding needed to deliver essential services for SEND children and young people. We call for a review of commissioning practices that will help focus spending on preventative services to avoid escalating crisis care costs.
4. Ensure money intended for children with SEND actually reaches children with SEND
We urge the Government to review the systems for SEND funding across all settings and age groups to ensure that funding meant for children with SEND is spent on children with SEND. This must be the case whether they have received an Education, Health and Care Plan or not.
Often, funding meant for children with SEND gets caught up in red tape or ends up being diverted to other areas to plug shortfalls, and this is unacceptable.
One simple way to ensure more SEND children receive the support they are entitled to is to unlink the Disability Access Fund (DAF) from Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This bureaucracy deprives countless children from the financial support they are entitled to by law.
5. Allocate part of High Needs Block funding for quality early education
We welcome the Government’s commitment to ensuring half a million more children reach their Early Learning goals by 2030.
Many of the children currently missing out on early education are those with SEND, as many early years providers are not set up to cater for their needs. Only 6% of local authorities have sufficient childcare provision for children with disabilities.
We know that children accessing high quality early education achieve better outcomes. Thus, to reach their own goals, it will be essential for the Government to properly invest in early years provision and workforce.
One key step towards delivering on these goals will be to set aside a portion of the High Needs Block funding for the early years, as early intervention is critical in improving outcomes.
6. Invest in family-focused support system, based on the Kids Navigator Model
The system we currently have does not work for families of disabled children because it is complex, hard to navigate and often inaccessible.
The Kids Navigator Model focuses on guiding children and families through complicated health, education and care systems and brings holistic child-centred support to the family. It helps families to understand their rights and entitlements, prepares children and families for the next stages whether in the early years or post 16, and tailors support to the needs of each family.
Disabled children, young people and their futures must be central to any decision-making on investment in education, health and social care, rather than being an afterthought, as they all too often are.
This will be essential to regaining the trust and confidence of children, young people and families in this community, whose voices, experience and expertise must inform future decisions.