The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has delivered a damning verdict on the state of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in its latest Triennial Review.

This report lays bare the deep-rooted failings of local authorities in delivering essential support to some of the most vulnerable children and young people in England.

For families navigating the SEND system, the findings echo what they already know: the system is broken and failing those it is meant to protect. Despite legal obligations to provide timely and effective support, local authorities are falling alarmingly short, creating frustration, distress, and missed opportunities for children and their futures.

In recent years, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) landscape in the UK has faced unprecedented strain. The latest statistics highlight a sharp increase in tribunal appeals as more parents fight to secure the educational support their children desperately need. Between April and June 2024, there were 5,800 SEND tribunal appeals a staggering 78% increase compared to the same period in 2023, making it the largest quarterly rise ever recorded.

This has left nearly 9,200 open cases, a 61% backlog, reflecting a system under extreme pressure. This surge in appeals signals not just growing frustration among parents but a crisis point in the educational system’s capacity to support SEND pupils effectively.

In her first budget as chancellor, Rachel Reeves has announced a substantial uplift in education funding, with a promise to boost the core schools budget by £2.3 billion next year.

This increase is aimed at supporting the Labour government’s commitment to hiring thousands more teachers in key subject areas.

The budget also outlines a separate £1 billion allocation to reform and enhance special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, a move Reeves described as essential to improving outcomes for the UK’s most vulnerable children.

However, scrutiny of the budget documents reveals that £1 billion of the SEND uplift will come from the £2.3 billion allocated to the overall schools budget, raising questions about how these funds will be balanced across general and specialist education demands.

Once again, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is in the news, as the National Audit Office (NAO) has published a scathing report exposing the deep cracks in a system meant to support some of the most vulnerable young people in society. According to the NAO, the SEND framework is strained to the breaking point, leaving children, young people, and their families frustrated and underserved. Despite record spending of £10.75 billion annually by the Department for Education (DfE), outcomes remain stubbornly poor, with just 69% of young people with SEND in education, training, or employment at the end of Key Stage 4, compared to 85% for their peers.

For SEND parents, the reality of a broken SEND system is all too familiar. Years of navigating a complex web of insufficient resources, bureaucratic obstacles, and constant advocacy battles have painted a clear picture of a system in crisis. Yet, in recent months, a shift in awareness seems to be occurring: the broader public, and, crucially, policymakers, are finally beginning to recognise the systemic issues SEND families have faced for years, even decades.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in the UK is at a breaking point.

Families nationwide are experiencing issues from limited funding and lengthy delays to inconsistent support and a lack of understanding for the unique needs of their children.

Recent reports from ITV News, Channel 4, and Schools Week, as well as an in-depth review by the National Audit Office (NAO), have highlighted the depth of the crisis.

For SEND parents, navigating this complex system to secure essential resources has become a constant battle.

But amid this ongoing challenge, parents play a crucial role in driving change - by advocating for their children and pushing for reforms to create a more supportive and inclusive SEND system.

The UK government’s recent initiatives to tackle school absenteeism, driven by the Department for Education’s (DfE) updated attendance guidance, are sparking debate, particularly regarding their impact on students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Although these policies are intended to reduce absenteeism and improve academic outcomes, parents and advocates argue that the “one-size-fits-all” approach falls short for SEND students who often face unique challenges, such as mental health concerns or limited access to adequate support.

The DfE has recently published a new document, ‘Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance’.

This is not before time given as far back as 2017 the Mental Health of Children and Young People (MHCYP)1 survey presented very worrying trends.

NHS Digital data from 2022 show 18% of children aged 7-16 years and 22% of young people aged 17-24 years had a probable mental disorder.

Children aged 11-16, identified as with probable mental disorders were ‘less likely to feel safe at school’ (61.2%) than those without (89.2%), saying they ‘could not enjoy learning’.

The Department for Education has published a SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, as the latest stage of the Government’s SEND Review. This is a follow-up to last year’s green paper on SEND reform, and includes a summary of responses the Government received to their public consultation on the green paper.

The Improvement Plan sets out how the Department for Education intends to proceed with the proposed changes in the green paper.

New figures from the Ministry of Justice show clearly the extent to which local authorities routinely and unlawfully deny children and young people with SEND the special educational provision and support they need.