In July, I shared how we are seizing opportunities to improve the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) system for children, young people and their families in Essex. Since then, we’ve continued to make progress, but we also need to recognise that, like other parts other country, we’re facing ongoing challenges that it is important to be open about.
Demand for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) is rising nationally and Essex is no exception. Every month approximately 220 new needs assessments are added into the Essex system for processing and there has been a spike in assessment requests with a 90% increase since 2018/19. This increase, alongside vacancies in our educational psychology service and funding pressures, continues to stretch the local system. This is understandably impacting families and the professionals supporting them.
We’re also working within a national SEND system that no longer works, one that is desperately under-funded and one which urgently needs to change.
The recent news that the Government’s SEND reforms will be delayed is extremely disappointing. But unlike many councils, we’re not standing still in Essex and waiting for change to come. Where many councils aren’t, we are continuing to invest in SEND and explore areas where we can improve families’ experiences while we wait for this long-awaited transformation.
So far, we have:
- increased the number of educational psychologists – internally and externally - to help reduce the education, health and care needs assessment backlog
- worked with partners, including schools and health organisations to ensure SEND support is joined up
- continued to engage with parents and carers through SEND roadshows and the Essex Local Offer
- expanded our Inclusion Framework to help schools support children earlier and more effectively - because every child deserves to feel they belong
As a result, progress is being made. But we also need to be realistic that this won’t be linear and can’t always be quantified. As we address challenges in specific parts of the system, we still need to manage significant pressures in others – now and in the future.
We understand how frustrating this is for families but addressing these challenges continues to be a priority for us. We recently reiterated this with the announcement of our new £1.3 million SEND improvement and transformation plan.
Through this we will:
- develop support for children with emerging SEND in Early Years settings
- create eight new SEND classroom models/sensory spaces across primary and secondary schools
- review and update the assessment process so it is more efficient
- improve how young people with SEND transition to secondary education
- work with Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators to improve feedback, confidence and build trust
- develop support to help young people with SEND prepare for adulthood
We’re continuing to listen, too. Our SEND roadshows and dedicated meetings between our officers and local parents and carers means we can hear directly about families’ experiences. What we’re being told has and continues to inform the changes we are making. We know that listening to families is central to how we improve and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to attend a roadshow event or meeting and shared their experience with us. We want to build on these opportunities and will continue to use what we are told to inform our plans.
We also know there is more to do so that every family feels the benefit of the changes we are making. A review by our People and Families Policy and Scrutiny Committee highlighted the need to improve communication and rebuild trust with families – something we never take for granted. We know we have a long way to go with this, but we’re determined to get there.
Families deserve a fair, clear and well-resourced system and councils need the tools and funding to deliver it. We remain committed to listening, learning and working together to build a SEND system that works for everyone.
This is a clear message that we are also sending to government and calling for the fundamental transformation of the system. Every child deserves the chance to flourish and enjoy their education in an environment that meets their needs. This will provide a strong foundation so that they can thrive throughout their lives.
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