MORE funding is needed to tackle issues with educational provision for students with additional needs, a council leader has said.
A group of Labour MPs had written to Staffordshire County Council over concerns raised by families over special educational needs and disability (SEND) services.
The letter, which had local MPs Dave Robertson and Sarah Edwards among the signatories, said an “urgent review” was now needed.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said that SEND provision was high on the agenda, but that funding was not sufficient to address all concerns.
“This is a matter of huge importance for us, and I am grateful that MPs wish to support us in tackling it.
“We want every child in Staffordshire to have the opportunity to thrive and we are doing everything we can with the resources we have.
“However, government funding isn’t nearly enough to meet the increasing need for support, nor the increasingly complex needs of the children we see.”
Staffordshire has seen a 55% increase in the number of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) over the past four years, yet the county remains one of the lowest funded authorities in the country for high needs funding.
According to the Local Government Association, since the 2014 reforms of the SEND system, the number of children and young people nationally with EHCPs increased by 140% over ten years.
Added to this, research conducted on behalf of the County Councils Network and the Local Government Association confirms that spending by local authorities exceeded the high needs funding allocations from government by £890million in 2023-24 – and this could rise to £1.1billion and £1.3billion over the next two years.
Cllr White said:
“This is not an issue unique to Staffordshire – the national system is failing and needs fundamental reform.
“We’re doing as much as we can with what we have, and have made investments in special schools, education psychologists and SEND keyworkers to support and speed up assessments.
“While this is making a difference, we need decisive action to support the immediate and whole system reform that is required.
“Therefore, I welcome the support of Staffordshire’s MPs in lobbying for this much needed policy and funding review, and hope we can work together to secure long-lasting changes to the system at a government level.”