An additional £4.9m will be allocated for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) education in Surrey.
The Surrey County Council (SCC) cabinet approved the financial support on Wednesday, with the funds intended for hiring additional personnel and accelerating procedures.
The official stated that even with the additional investment, further financial support and changes to the entire system were required from the national government.
The Ministry of Education has been contacted for a response.
The additional funds will be allocated to hire 30 evaluation officers, who will collaborate directly with parents as part of a newly established education, health, and care needs assessment team.
The group collaborating directly with families and educational institutions will grow from 81 to 111.
It is anticipated that a new mediation and conflict resolution team will reduce the number of families required to attend a tribunal by 50%.
After the changes are completely put into effect, the council stated that it will have 231 employees in total working within its official SEND service.
- Council bankrupt because of SEND, leader claims
- Council dealing with increasing debt caused by SEND services
- Schools receive £740m to modify facilities for students with special educational needs
The council has faced criticism from Surrey MPs and parents, who claim they have been betrayed by the authority, with its leadermaking a public apology in 2024.
The council stated that approximately 46,000 children in Surrey require support for special educational needs, with 16,871 of them having an education, health, and care plan. This figure has more than doubled since 2018 and increased by 10.5% compared to 2024.
Jonathan Hulley, the cabinet member responsible for children, families, and lifelong learning, stated: “Providing and supporting children with extra needs is a widespread problem that local councils across the country are struggling to address.”
We call for immediate government reform of the SEND system and have made it clear to ministers that, in addition to the significant and beneficial actions we are implementing locally, urgent national SEND reform and further funding are essential.
Follow Surrey onFacebook, on X. Submit your story concepts to[email protected]or message us on WhatsApp at 08081 002250.
- A Member of Parliament has stated that sending a child without education for a year is unacceptable.
- Surrey’s SEND support services in emergency, MPs claim
- Don’t ‘talk down’ Surrey’s SEND service, MPs advised
- Council deals with fewer Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) cases referred by MPs
- County council failed to meet deadlines for the education plan
- Council offers apology to families regarding SEND support
