Somerset Council has expressed strong disappointment over the government’s postponement of crucial reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. The expected Schools White Paper, which was set to outline significant changes in education funding including SEND services, has been pushed back to 2026.
Originally promised for release last autumn by the Labour government, this White Paper is pivotal—it sets the government’s policy framework and precedes legislation in the House of Commons. The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed on October 22 that the delay is to allow further consultation and testing of proposals.
Council leader Bill Revans, a former teacher, emphasized the severe impact this delay will have on families in Somerset. “Families are waiting ever longer for the support their children desperately need,” he said. “The current SEND system is in crisis. The number of children requiring Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is rising rapidly, while the costs are spiraling out of control.”
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Somerset is grappling with a mounting Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit, currently forecast to exceed £100 million by the end of this financial year. The council has recently implemented a DSG deficit reduction plan, aided by a two-year statutory override from the DfE. Without this extension or timely reform, the council faces the grim prospect of insolvency.
Earlier this month, parents and council members, including Revans and Councillor Heather Shearer—portfolio holder for children, families, and education—gathered at a protest outside County Hall, advocating for urgent government action to support SEND children. Shearer highlighted the growing complexity of needs among these children and the national scale of the crisis. “What’s really needed is urgent and effective reform of SEND legislation that meets the challenges families face today,” she said.
Both council leaders stress the need for comprehensive and sustainable changes to the SEND system to prevent worsening service quality and overwhelming financial pressures on local authorities. They call on the government to accelerate the reform process to avoid pushing councils like Somerset into a damaging cycle of overspending and service decline.