New figures show that the number of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receiving support from councils has reached a record high.
In 2023, councils issued 84, 428 Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which outline the provision of SEND support for each young person. This marked an increase of 26.6% from 2022, and means the number has increased every year since 2014.
There are now 575,963 children in the UK with an EHCP, as of January 2024.
Requests for an assessment are also up 20.8% on the previous year.
Councillor Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils want to be able to provide the very best support to children with special educational needs and their families. However, these record figures are a reminder of the huge pressure councils are under.”
The increase in EHCPs is also driving up costs of home-to-school transport for children with SEND, with budgets up by 23.3% in 2023/24 compared to the previous year. Budgeted net spend for 2023/24 is £1.4 billion.
The LGA is calling for the inclusion of children with SEND to be improved and is asking for high needs deficits built up by councils due to spiralling costs to be scrapped. These currently stand at an estimated £1.9 billion.
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