To ask you to explain SEND funding and bankrupt councils to me?

[Myanna]

I've read a few articles like this one:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/feb/05/send-costs-bankrupt-english-local-authorities

But I don't understand why the cost of funding SEND is so high that it's going to potentially/actually make most councils insolvent.

It's not like provision is generous or easy to get, from what I've read (I don't have a child who is supported).

Were these kids previously just not supported in any way by the state and was it left to families to cope as best they could?
Are these kids who previously wouldn't have survived, but now do because of better medical care and therefore need a lot of help?
Is this private equity running enterprises and charging huge amounts to local authorities?
Is it just inflation and the cost of employing people?

I really don't know much about this at all but I'm sure many on here do, so I'd really welcome your knowledge.

“Pick any school” 😂 tell me you’ve not had to deal with the stress of the EHCP process without telling me 😂

www.specialneedsjungle.com/burden-admin-costs-send-families-system-should-be-supporting-them/

We pay a lot of council tax. Has it escaped your attention that we have a cost of living crisis and even average earners often live hand to mouth?

That means very little though
Three of my immediate family of four are classed as hsving disabilities,
Only one is entitled to DLA and will never be independent.

Where they involved in an accident?

Tell me you’ve never worked in a school without telling me you’ve never worked in a school.

The fact is there are too many ‘SEMH’ cases - able bodied children with normal intelligence who for whatever reason are very violent, cannot regulate themselves, and will not comply with anything asked of them. I’m yet to see such a case (expensive placement or not) produce a functioning adult that needs no support. It’s not working.

Yes, especially not all three groups concurrently. When talking about these issues the implication from those fighting for each group is that all additional tax can and should just go to their particular cause? They very rarely acknowledge the cumulative cost of meeting the needs of all three of these groups in the way that various people want. We simply never could raise enough tax even with major tax rises.

Parents can't be forced to home educate and as I understand it, it is going to be made even harder for parents to home educate their child in the near future so very few parents are going to do it voluntary.

It is also harder to suspend a child with SEND.

This is what the future will look like with unsupported SEND children in mainstream schools.

It isn't going be good for anyone's child. SEND or not.

I doubt there are many children with dyslexia who get state funded private boarding school i expect there is far more tonight than that .

so they got their kid the best

The best lawyer in England can’t do that because in law DC are not entitled to the best possible education. Only what is appropriate.

Home education would be necessary.

Parents cannot be forced to home educate.

Locally i find it hard to believe with a city 30min away that there was nowhere closer than 2hrs away for a probably level2 asd kid - so verbal but very reserved etc. For secondary there wasnt even an expectation to try the hub or other local sen schools.

You might not believe but it does happen. (It can also happen that there isn’t an appropriate school at all.) If there was a nearer school who could meet needs, the LA would not be funding transport.

I have DC on medication for an LLI that the NHS initially refused to fund. It wasn’t possible to buy it privately in the UK. Most, including us, could not afford to buy it abroad. That type of situation looking at QAYLs is far more nuanced than many posts on threads like these suggest.

No
I have two diabetic, one who is insulin controlled, diabetes is considered a disability

I was just pointing out that saying you are disabled doesn't mean anything and doesn't mean you understand how everyone with disabilities lives .

our council has consulted with every school in a 3hr radius and all have come back stating “cannot meet needs” , issue is that they can’t be forced to take him (not sure I’d want them too anyway if can’t meet needs) because they’re mainly independent so they can reject him as he is “too complex”. This is why there are then taxis, there is a serious shortage of local sen schools!

he is an amazing boy with so much potential but we can’t meet his therapy needs at home and he wants friends and to experience a school.

we cannot relocate because I have set up my business here and our other son is thriving at his mainstream school

Can’t you just build him a school with your very own hands?

Or pick the best most expensive one and ask the LA chauffeur service to take him there?

What are his needs if you don’t mind my asking?

The Secretary of State for Education can direct a school to take a student.

Wholly independent schools can’t be directed to admit.

True, but that’s 7% of schools. The other 93% of schools can.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/feb/09/children-special-needs-england-keep-current-support-minister-says

It may only be a small % of schools who are wholly independent but the pp said the schools consulted were mainly independent. Most independent SS are wholly independent rather than section 41 independent.

What means very little? Hard decisions have to be made regardless and local authorities have to consider all of their residents and obligations, not just a select few. Humanity should absolutely be a factor but reality is very much needed too. Even if you increase taxes tough decisions will still have to be made because you can always do more. That’s the reality even if you think that I’m not disabled enough to have an opinion,

You are neglecting to mention that MN withdrew my friends posts due to the bullying she received from the MN bullies. I actually had to intervene on her behalf. Your fine sit in your echo chamber of all SEN Professionals are bad.

It does astound me that it is ok to bully another to the point of S/H and suicide thoughts as they had the audacity to be transparent and honest. Ironically she is one the strongest women I know. Yet suffers from low self esteem due to the abuse she suffered and the response of professionals when was a child. Instead of self-pity she fights back for the other vulnerable people, challenged how others spoke negatively about the parents and CYP.

The tribunal is not for her (she could do without the stress) it is to expose the senior SEND managers and LA in the best and most effective way possible. Shall I encourage to only focus on herself it’s not like she has deep pockets for the legal fees especially as she is not working due to recovering from a mental health breakdown that was bad her medical team continually asked when she had not yet resigned.

Thats not what I said and you know it
Just becsuse you are disabled yourself doesn't mean you know how everyone
Disabilities live or how they affect them.

I’m actually a little disappointed that you are disabled and still believe a reasonable place to cut things is disability funding.

You’re perfectly entitled to that opinion, but it’s a shame you have it.

@Playingvideogames he has a brain deformity, is autistic, ADHD and has speech and language difficulties.

Perhaps come work at the semh school i govern at and you will see plenty.