Wiltshire Council is grappling with a significant SEND budget shortfall, pushing recovery plans to 2031 due to rising demand for support.
Wiltshire: The council is in a bit of a pickle with its SEND budget. They’re looking at a whopping £17.49 million overspend on top of an already agreed £28.25 million deficit. Yikes!
It turns out more kids need support than they thought. By the end of 2024, there are expected to be 6,354 Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in the system, which is 660 more than they predicted. That’s a lot of kids needing help!
Cllr Laura Mayes, who’s in charge of children’s services, called it a “very complex issue.” Meanwhile, Cllr Ian Thorn from the Liberal Democrats described the numbers as “excruciating.”
The council’s deficit is coming from the High Needs Block, which is part of the Dedicated Schools Grant meant for students with SEND. Back in March 2024, they signed a Safety Valve agreement with the Department for Education to get some extra funds to tackle their historic deficits.
But here’s the kicker: a recent report showed that the rising demand for EHCPs has thrown their recovery plan way off course. They now think it’ll take until April 2031 to balance the budget, instead of the original target of 2029.
Cllr Mayes mentioned they’re working hard to improve the system and get schools to provide better mainstream support. They’re also trying to help families early on to prevent issues from escalating.
Cllr Richard Clewer, the council leader, pointed out that the current SEND approach is getting more complicated and costly, moving away from inclusion. They’re especially worried about the demand for EHCPs in early years, with many requests coming from families of 3-year-olds.
The cabinet has decided to seek approval from the DfE for a revised plan that will still focus on investing to save in the long run but will stretch the timeline to seven years instead of five.
After the meeting, Cllr Jane Davies emphasized that they’re committed to putting the needs of children and young people first, even with the rising demands and budget overspend. They believe they have a solid plan to balance the budget, but it’s going to take longer than they initially thought.
