Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Increased spending on SEND and temporary accommodation fails to meet people's needs.
Conclusion
Despite increased spending , there are indications that services are not meeting peoples’ needs, such as only 50% of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for children and young people being issued within the 20-week statutory limit in 2023.15 MHCLG acknowledged that although spend on SEND services had increased, parent and children’s satisfaction had not increased.16 Local authorities’ spending on temporary accommodation has nearly doubled from £1.10 billion in real terms in 2015–16 to £2.13 billion in 2023–24, with MHCLG noting that outcomes “are not good” for citizens in temporary accommodation, particularly for families and children. This is coupled with an increasing number of families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the statutory maximum of six weeks.17
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to address service shortfalls by end of 2025, committing over £2 billion for children's social care reform, a White Paper for SEND system reform in Autumn 2025, and continued £1 billion investment in homelessness services with a new strategy to be published later in 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.4 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: end of 2025 6.5 The government will provide further details on funding to support local authorities with key service pressures at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later in 2025. 6.6 The government is committed to reforming children’s social care, to improve outcomes for children and young people, and support local government sustainability. The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £2 billion over the next three years for children’s social care reform. This includes over £500 million in new investment and continuing the existing £523 million each year for prevention through the Local Government Finance Settlement. This will build on existing reforms and deliver the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’ social commitments, including measures to fix the broken placements market. 6.7 For adult social care, the Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement will outline adult social care ‘notional allocations’, which will set expectations for local authority spending. 6.8 The government is committed to transforming the adult social care sector and has introduced legislation to introduce a Fair Pay Agreement, with consultation planned for later in 2025. 6.9 Baroness Casey of Blackstock is leading an independent commission into adult social care, forming part of the government’s critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. Phase 1 will report in 2026, focusing on improving people’s lives with existing resources over the medium term. 6.10 The Department for Education Spending Review settlement confirmed funding for reform of the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, details of which will be set out in a White Paper in autumn 2025. 6.11 The government invested £1 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services in 2025-26. This record level of investment will be protected for the next three years, with an additional £100 million for prevention and £950 million for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund. This will increase the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation and drive down usage of costly bed and breakfasts and hotels. A long-term homelessness and rough sleeping strategy will be published later in 2025.