Reform councils to cut SEN spending

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.. according to the Lib Dem’s. Can they even do this? My DC isn’t SEN but her class has 5 TAs mainly as 121s and I dread what would happen if their funding is removed. Our council isn’t Reform led but they’re pretty neck on neck in no overall control.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/apr/24/ed-miliband-energy-pricing-keir-starmer-nigel-farage-latest-live-uk-politics-news

the number of people classified as vulnerable and needing high level support is so far beyond what it was even 20 years ago

Not according to the government’s official statistics. The latest SEN statistics
from 23/24 show there were 1,673,205 children and young people with SEN. According to government statistics around 1.5 million pupils had SEN in 2005.

Well it is.

Only 4% of children have an EHCP and most of those don’t come with a 121.

Even the full 4% of 30 kids isn’t 3!

@Sirzy When I was working (in the dark ages) we didn’t provide that without a statement (as it was then). Schools just didn’t have the money! It’s utterly impossible to fund 5 extra staff. I did have a budget to provide temporary 1:1 pending special school place. Not all got one but it’s impossible for schools to provide this level of support now the budget is devolved to the schools. I could target it.

We have two TAs doing their best to provide the support. The poor children aren’t getting the best education they can but that’s not the schools fault, it’s the system which doesn’t cover things.

But I’m not saying that you should be funding that £30k!

What I’ve said, repeatedly, is that there should be a contribution made by the families receiving those services. Whether that’s means tested or a sliding scale.

But that £30k is a lot of money, and it’s got to come from somewhere. And that’s just one child..

That could go in Reform's favour though, they'd paint themselves as martyrs, the current government persecuting them.

But even asking to cover 10% of that is impossible for most people on normal incomes and that’s before covering the medication etc that you have said they should cover

Families don’t have spare cash. And again what happens to those kids whose families can’t or won’t pay?

I think if anything Reform will want assessments to really check children’s level of need . There’s a feeling that every child has some sort of ism these days , the volume of which we’ve never seen before .

Well that’s laughable. It’s nigh on impossible to get an Ed psych to assess for EHCPs let alone Ed psychs to assess the assessments parents are struggling to get.

Also the Children’s Commissioner did a good study in 2021. In 2020 we had 1,370,000 send dc. There’s a description of the issues which still stand today. 2007 saw 80,000 in special schools, 128,000 in 2020. The high needs budget was £8 bn when the report was written and this has left mainstream schools short of money due to the massive increase in the high needs expenditure.

The report also highlights the poor outcomes for more vulnerable dc. Those with a social worker, on fsm or in care. It’s very much saying there’s a left behind class. The parents might well vote Reform. Their dc are left behind by the funds not being spent equitably.

And that’s under labour , the supposed saviours of the vulnerable .

They already have extensive assessments before any LA pays a penny.

I have one child with an EhCP, A 30k funding package and a full time 1-1. She is in the process of being moved to specialist.

I have another child with an EHCP, a 12k fundinf package and a shared TA.

My daughter is one of 2 out of 660 in her school who have dedicated 1-1s. Although every EHCP child has a named TA. That doesn't make them 1-1 TAs.

You are so incredibly naive if you think this doesn't happen already.

It may happen now but I think assessments will be tougher and the fact it’s on their radar means they’ll be changes of some sorts .

Reform MPs being massive twats?!!

Whoever would have thought??!! 🙄

Seriously people, CHECK THEIR VOTING RECORDS!

These people are NOT about improvements for the working people of this country!

But it’s the working people voting them in so how does that work .

Assessments will be tougher? Who is going to carry them out then? Nige’s mates? I wouldn’t trust them to oversee other people’s needs assessments and make the right decisions in the interests of vulnerable people as far as I can throw them. He models himself on Trump, and that tells us all we need to know. The only person he is interested in is himself and making millions.

Morons will moron 🤷‍♀️

I don’t think they are interested in vulnerable people .

They are fascists - fascists' interest in the vulnerable only takes one form.

Because they’re good at manipulating people. Same reason the Nazis were voted in. Whether you like me mentioning them or not, there are major parallels between what reform are doing now and what the Nazi’s did then.

How good of them to be willing to fund lots of extra Ed Psych and OT hours. It might eat into the money they've promised to spend on filling potholes, though.

Well it’s their lived experience so like it or not they obs like what Reform are saying . I wouldn’t insult people on the basis they have different views .

Exactly, they’re not interested. They give zero shits about other people’s needs.