Over recent years, we have made significant and sustained investments to improve our Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) services in Essex. In my previous blog, I reflected on the progress we have made. This week, I want to share how we are building on that progress and why continued investment remains essential to achieving positive outcomes for children, young people and their families.
We know how important timely, high‑quality Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) are. We also know that the timeliness in the issuing of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans is an area where Essex needs to improve. That is why, last year, we committed nearly £3 million to our additional assistance improvement plan, enabling us to recruit temporary posts into our SEND Operations Team. These roles have been instrumental in strengthening the speed and quality of the plans we issue following a needs assessment.
The impact of these roles is clear. The number of EHC plans issued within the legal 20‑week timescale is improving. We have cleared the original backlog of 1,300 cases and between September and October 2025 alone, more than 550 plans were issued — over twice as many as during the same period the previous year.
While we know there is more to do, this is progress and I am grateful to the families, settings, schools, partners and colleagues who have worked with us to make it possible.
However, the number of requests for needs assessments remains high – with 300 new requests a month. Without continued investment, we risk losing the momentum we have worked hard to build.
These pressures are also reflected in the council’s latest budget proposals, including the high needs block funding, which will be considered at our next Full Council meeting. The proposals acknowledge the growing financial strain facing SEND services locally and nationally. Essex is currently forecasting a £165 million shortfall in the high needs block at the end of the 2027/28 financial year.
The council has always prided itself on its financial management and has only recently entered a high needs block deficit position. We had planned for a small 3% increase in High Needs funding for the 2026/27 financial year in line with the Department for Education’s general advice to councils. Unfortunately for 2026/27, no new increase in funding has come through which will place more pressure on the SEND system.
Despite these challenges, we remain committed to protecting frontline support and prioritising investment where it has the greatest impact for families. We are therefore proposing a further £1.5 million investment for 2026/27, drawn from our Early Intervention and Prevention Reserve. This funding will allow us to retain the posts for another year so we can:
- keep pace with continuing high requests for EHCNAs
- continue improving the timeliness of EHCNAs
- maintain high‑quality assessments that reflect each child’s needs
- learn from best practice elsewhere and prepare for upcoming national policy changes
While positive, we know that local action alone is not enough. The scale and complexity of need requires a national response. That is why I have written directly to the Secretary of State to set out Essex’s position in detail. In my letter, I highlighted the improvements we have made, the investments we continue to prioritise and the dedication of our teams. I also set out the reality that councils cannot continue to sustain this without a clear, long‑term national funding settlement.
I have asked the Secretary of State to provide clarity on future SEND funding, to recognise the pressures facing local authorities and to ensure that the forthcoming White Paper delivers the stability and direction families deserve. I also emphasised our willingness to work closely with Government to shape a system that is fair, sustainable and focused on improving outcomes for children and young people.
Our ambition remains unchanged: to ensure every child and young person with SEND in Essex can thrive. We are proud of the progress made, but we know there is still a way to go. We will continue listening, learning and investing where we can so that families feel the difference where it matters most.
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