Leicestershire's SEND strategy is approved but funding concerns remain
Leicestershire County Council’s new three-year SEND strategy has been described as a step in the right direction, but concerns over long-term funding remain.
County Hall has announced that its latest plans for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) had been approved by the government.
This means the government will cover up to 90 per cent of SEND budget deficits up to March 2026, amounting to around £70M, the council said.
The government has not provided information on the reimbursement of deficits incurred after this date, the authority added.
The county council said its three-year strategy looks to increase the number of specialist school places, ‘bolstering support in mainstream schools and earlier identification and intervention’.
The authority said plans include creating hundreds of new school places, through the development of a new 250-place special school for Harborough, and bringing specialist support into mainstream schools, through ‘experts at hand’, with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and other specialists working directly in schools, nurseries and post-16 settings.
Speaking about the plans, Charles Pugsley, cabinet member for children and family services, said: “This is great news.
"Despite making real progress, we know there is more to do, and I’m pleased that government feedback highlights several strengths in Leicestershire’s approach.
“Our focus now is on putting the plan into action: helping children earlier, creating more school places and strengthening support in mainstream schools.”
The authority said recruitment for 50 new roles in the ‘experts at hand’ team will be taking place ahead of its roll-out next year, and a joint event with families and schools is also planned.
Councillor Pugsley added: “We’re doing all we can to improve support.
"But uncertainty over long-term funding remains the biggest barrier to faster progress for Leicestershire families.
"We need the government to play its part.”
Ian Marrey of the National Education Union said: "For this plan to truly succeed, schools and local services need sustainable, guaranteed funding rather than short-term fixes, alongside proper support to address chronic staff workloads.
“Our members have also raised concerns about the provision for students who move between schools and colleges across the county, including in Leicester City.
"Children and young people should not be disadvantaged by the postcode of where they live or where they are educated.”