Sutton Faces Extended Waits for SEND Assessments Amidst Reform Efforts

Parents and carers in Sutton are facing lengthy waits for assessments for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), a recent council meeting revealed. The People Committee heard that waiting times for autism assessments have reached 18-20 months, highlighting a critical need for reform in the borough's SEND services.

Kieran, Director for Education in Greater Sport and SEND Communities, presented an update on Sutton's SEND reform plan and the implications of a recent Ofsted and CQC local area SEND inspection. He acknowledged that the current SEND system is complex, financially unsustainable, and too reactive. ¹ The rising demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which have increased significantly over the past decade, coupled with national funding gaps, has led to substantial financial challenges, including an accumulated deficit of over £20 million on the high needs block. The system is also described as being too reactive, focusing on addressing issues when they arise rather than providing earlier intervention.

National reforms, outlined in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, aim to strengthen mainstream school provision, introduce individual support plans, and improve access to educational psychology and therapy services. Sutton's reform plan focuses on rebuilding co-production, strengthening joint leadership, building inclusive practice, and creating high-quality, cost-effective local provision. The plan aims for parents to feel their voices are heard and to have more confidence in the system. To facilitate this, a development partner is being appointed to establish a new Parent Carer Forum, which will provide the infrastructure for parents to focus on co-production and strategic governance. ²

The report highlighted significant financial pressures. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) has an accumulated deficit of over £20 million, with an in-year deficit of about £11 million for the current year. Nationally, there is a £5 billion gap between what local authorities are spending and what is provided through government grant, expected to grow to £14 billion without action. The government has announced a High Needs Stability Grant that will clear 90% of local authority accumulated deficits to the end of 25/26, subject to the successful submission and acceptance of the local SEND reform plan. For 2028/29 onwards, SEND spending is expected to be covered nationally by the Department for Education. ³

The Experts at Hand initiative will see £1.8 million invested in recruiting professionals such as speech and language professionals, autism professionals, and educational psychology support. The recruitment process will be intensive over the coming months, with the aim of deploying these professionals into mainstream schools to reduce the escalation of need. This initiative is part of the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper reforms, and the plan is to submit the local SEND reform plan by June 19th, with a response from the Department for Education expected in September. ⁴

National reforms also propose the introduction of digital 'individual support plans' which will have a legislative or legal status in schools. These plans are intended to provide additional support prior to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) being necessary, aiming to reset systems so that EHCPs are only for the most complex young people, with targeted support needs met through these individual support plans. ⁵

The aspirations for the SEND reform plan include parents feeling their voices are heard and having more confidence in the system, stronger accountability for system performance, more children and young people with SEND feeling they belong in education and their communities, and a financially sustainable system. Progress will be monitored through ongoing engagement with the partnership and schools, and the council expects to have a series of monitoring visits with the government throughout the year on the delivery of the plan. The plan will also be discussed at committee meetings. ⁶

The discussions underscored the council's commitment to improving services for children with SEND, while navigating significant financial and regulatory challenges. The reform plan is seen as the beginning of a long-term programme, with legislative changes not expected until 2029.