Southwark Council has decided against allocating immediate funding for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) needs assessments within schools. This decision comes despite a recommendation from the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission aimed at increasing SEND provisions within schools, allowing children with high needs like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be educated locally and preventing them from needing to leave the borough for appropriate support.

The decision was revealed during the commission's meeting on 6 October 2025, where the Cabinet's response to several scrutiny reviews and recommendations from 2024-2025 were discussed. Councillor Jasmine Ali, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Refugees, presented the Cabinet's stance on 16 recommendations stemming from a review of EHCPs, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions, and inclusion in schools.

Of the 16 recommendations, seven were fully accepted, two were partially accepted, and seven, including the one concerning immediate EHCP funding for schools, were not accepted.

The specific recommendation that was rejected stated: That the Cabinet allocates funding imminently for schools to be able to undertake EHCP needs assessments within the schools with SEND children.

The Cabinet's response clarified that EHC needs assessments are undertaken by the local authority, with input from relevant professionals, and not by schools. Therefore, no specific funding would be provided for schools to conduct these assessments. The Cabinet also noted an anticipated government Schools White Paper in autumn 2025 that may propose changes to the current SEND system.

While the council will not provide specific funding for schools to undertake EHCP needs assessments, it has outlined alternative support measures. The council has reviewed EHCP templates to clarify expectations for children's provisions. Additionally, a portion of the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation has been designated for schools to bid for additional capital money to adapt settings and create SEND spaces, such as therapy and sensory rooms.

To ensure efficient and effective EHCP needs assessments, the council will undertake the assessments themselves, with input from relevant professionals. Timeliness of Annual Reviews is a cross agency performance indicator and remains a key priority for the SEND Services, schools training and health services. The council aims to address potential delays or backlogs in EHCP needs assessments by prioritising these reviews and clarifying expectations through revised EHCP templates.

The seven recommendations that were fully accepted are:

  1. That the Cabinet allocates capital funding to in-borough SEND provision within the council year 2025-26.
  2. That the Cabinet commission officers to produce and develop a training program by working with schools (SENCos), and Health departments on Autism and ADHD for training parents and carers who need help with managing the needs of their SEND children.
  3. That the Cabinet reassesses and lobbies the government in making changes to 20-week deadlines for EHCP.
  4. That the Cabinet clarifies the process for providing EHCP funding either directly to nurseries and schools or indirectly commissioned through Occupational Therapists to avoid any contention between parents, nurseries, academies, schools and OT that might cause delays in children receiving SEND support.
  5. That the Cabinet allocates appropriate SEND funding to mainstream schools, especially the schools that struggle to provide taught SEND classes, working with SENCos'.
  6. That the Cabinet ensures that during appeals on EHCP decisions, Southwark council's legal team ensures that the legal counsel and solicitors advocating for the council are understanding and compassionate rather than hostile and adversarial, assessing the child's needs objectively.
  7. That the Cabinet commission officers work with schools to develop and carry out awareness campaigns to protect school children and improve inclusion numbers.

The two recommendations that were partially accepted are:

  1. That the Cabinet devises a plan to further promote and encourage the health service and schools to work in closer partnership to tackle the challenges faced in supporting children with SEND.
  2. That the Council urgently revises its communication processes for disseminating SEND information from Early Years Intervention (SEND Inclusion Funding) on children with SEND to support mainstream schools in applying for an EHCP.

Details on how these recommendations will be implemented can be found in the Public Reports Pack under the heading KEY ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION .

The Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission Work Programme 2025-26 was also discussed at the meeting. The minutes from the 7 July 2025 meeting were approved.