Comment: Report on SEND tribunals

Chris Munday, Chair of the ADCS Resources and Strategy policy committee, said:

“It is important that children with special educational needs and disabilities get the right support, in the right place at the right time but everyone agrees the current SEND system is not working. The 2014 reforms were ambitious, rightly raising expectations and extending support from 0 to 25 years, but they have not delivered the intended outcomes. The SEND system has never been sufficiently funded by central government to meet the level and complexity of need we are seeing, and we are not convinced the Delivering Better Value and Safety Valve programmes go far enough to enough to address high needs deficits. Despite record levels of spending there is growing frustration and dissatisfaction with how the reforms are working on the ground from all sides. The SEND system needs a reset and the government’s SEND and AP improvement plan is a good starting point for reform, however, it does not acknowledge the baked in costs in the system which will continue for many years. The report notes a growing number of cases are being taken to tribunal and local authorities want to work towards creating a less adversarial, more child centred system based on children’s needs. The increasing time and money spent on SEND tribunals is time and money that otherwise could be reinvested into the system.”

ENDS

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