Update on the delivery of key SEND services following Spending Review announcement

Following the announcements made yesterday as part of the annual Spending Review, we wanted to share some latest news on what this means for key SEND services currently being delivered.  

Existing services will continue to be delivered to ensure quality outcomes for children and young people with SEND. These include the work to increase the number of Educational Psychologists to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system, as well as continuing to provide hardship funding for those families most vulnerable. 

There will also be an investment of £300m to support the creation of new High Needs places and help improve existing provision across a range of settings including mainstream and special schools. Further details on how this funding will be distributed will be announced from the DfE (Department for Education) in due course.

With the £730 million which is being allocated to high needs next year (2021-22), and the additional £780m which is being spent this year (2020-21), this means that the high needs block will have grown by over £1.5bn, or nearly a quarter in just two years.

In addition, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Settlement reflects the growth in the number of Education Health and Care plans and is not ringfenced to ensure local areas can prioritise based on their own understanding of local pressures. 

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