SEND Help, Now!
Luc Cadwaladr-Evans, BA International Relations and Languages and Cultures
In the past month, the government has received the results of investigations by two separate advisory bodies into the efficiency and efficacy of England’s current Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) system, both prescribing immediate reforms. The issue is that the advice is contradictory.
A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that without major reforms, the current SEND system could be costing the government an additional £3 billion annually by 2029. The IFS points to a steadily increasing number of children receiving costly, individualised Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as the reason for the unsustainable and rapidly rising SEND costs.
Meanwhile, the results of an investigation published by the newly formed Education Committee state that major changes to SEND need to take place for it to effectively work for those who need additional support in schools. Emphasising the necessity for it to become integrated with the educational mainstream, rather than attached to the side of a system that does not include it, the report scolds the current system as ‘adversarial’ and ‘fragmented.’ One thing the Education Committee is particularly clear on is that the funds for SEND students are not to be cut, should increase in line with inflation, and are to be ‘ringfenced.’ The committee has put forward the idea that creating an inclusive system of education could save the money necessary without shortchanging those who need the support by ending the reliance on individually tailored EHCPs and instead forming a system that includes support for learners of all levels and requirements. It states that the government has shown to be receptive to the idea of integrating SEND into the mainstream, but as of yet, ‘does not have a definition of what “inclusive” mainstream education is.’
The recommendations made by the Education Committee to reform the SEND system bear a strong resemblance to the systems that replaced SEND in other British nations: the Additional Support Needs (ASN) system implemented in Scotland in 2004, and the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system implemented in Wales in 2021. Beyond being more appropriately titled, these newer systems have shown greater efficacy and inclusivity than how SEND is currently being operated in England. Under both ASN and ALN, additional learning support has been integrated into the educational mainstream in Scotland and Wales, as was suggested by the Education Committee for England. However, neither adaptation was driven by financial motivation, and neither has resulted in drastic enough savings for such changes to demonstrably satiate the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ projections of overspending.
The extent of Keir Starmer’s austerity has often been exaggerated; the most recent spending review shows across the board real-terms budget increases to health and public services. However, mounting pressure to address an unshrinking deficit and slower than expected growth, mixed with previous controversial attempts to restructure disability benefits, leaves a murky future for those who rely on SEND support, despite its many shortcomings. The question now remains: will SEND be next up to Labour’s budgetary chopping block? Or will meaningful reforms take place to benefit both spending and service? The Education Committee has given the government two months to decide.
