MOVES to allow councils to temporarily keep budgets for special educational needs and disabilities “in the red” have been welcomed by Staffordshire County Council.
Since 2019, authorities have been able to run the mounting high needs deficits alongside their main budgets, meaning they don’t need to take this into account when balancing the yearly books.
The ability to do this was due to end in March 2026, but this has now been extended to March 2028.
Cllr Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire County Council said the news provided “some breathing space”, but warned a long-term national funding solution was urgently needed.
He said:
“Fundamentally, the national SEND system is failing and is in desperate need of urgent reform.
“Here in Staffordshire, we are making the funding we do have stretch as far as possible, but the increasing demand means this is simply not sustainable.
“The announcement is yet just another sticking plaster on a national funding crisis. The Government needs to step up and deliver the critical funding and long-term reform needed or councils across the country will simply run out of money.”
