Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Education Committee
HC 492
Published 18 September 2025
Recommendations
6
Accepted
Set out plan for effective deployment of skilled professionals in inclusive mainstream education.
Recommendation
As part of delivering a fully inclusive mainstream, the Government must set out how it will deliver, over time, a system in which highly skilled professionals, including educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, are less tied up in undertaking …
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Government Response Summary
The government commits to working with DHSC and NHS England to improve access to community health services and ensure allied health professionals are more effectively deployed. It is investing over £31 million to train over 600 new educational psychologists and has introduced a degree apprenticeship route for speech and language therapists.
Department for Education
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28
Accepted
Mandate systematic monitoring of SEND Tribunal outcomes and support for failing local authorities
Recommendation
The SEND Tribunal must remain as a backstop of the accountability process. The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care must systematically monitor SEND Tribunal outcomes and identify local authorities that repeatedly fail to comply with their …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the SEND Tribunal's role as a backstop and refers to the new SEND inspection framework, launched in January 2023, as its approach to monitoring local area performance and taking action for non-compliance, rather than committing to new systematic monitoring or data framework mandates.
Department for Education
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41
Accepted
Introduce new inclusivity requirements for all early years settings linked to funding.
Recommendation
There is a need to increase access to CPD and ensure that staff from all agencies in every early years setting has the expertise to undertake the effective early identification of SEND needs. Through the Best Start in Life strategy …
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Government Response Summary
The government details its existing 'Best Start in Life' strategy, including ongoing training for early years SENCOs, and significant investment in training additional educational psychologists, along with work to improve access to speech and language therapy, but does not commit to introducing a new set of national inclusivity requirements for all early years settings.
Department for Education
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46
Accepted
Ensure stronger Ofsted focus on inclusivity and outcomes for post-16 SEND learners.
Recommendation
When Ofsted considers the accountability of post-16 education settings, it should ensure a stronger focus on inclusivity and outcomes for young people with SEND. (Recommendation, Paragraph 191)
Government Response Summary
Ofsted has set out an explicit focus on inclusion in their new framework, gathering evidence on factors from school culture to assessment of need which came into effect on 10 November.
Department for Education
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57
Accepted
Mandate at least one Senior Leadership Team member holds SENCO qualifications in all schools.
Recommendation
To strengthen leadership on SEND, the Department should, in the short term, mandate that at least one member of the Senior Leadership Team in every school and every multi-academy trust holds SENCO qualifications. (Recommendation, Paragraph 218)
Government Response Summary
The government states that the NPQ for SENCOs, now mandatory, addresses the recommendation by providing essential knowledge and skills for SENCOs in mainstream schools.
Department for Education
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84
Accepted
Appoint a dedicated national SEND lead within DHSC to drive health system accountability.
Recommendation
The Department of Health and Social Care must urgently appoint a dedicated national SEND lead to drive accountability and coordination across the health system. This role must be empowered and mandated to provide coherent strategic leadership on the delivery of …
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Government Response Summary
The Department is working to improve access to community health services for children with SEND and ensure allied health professionals are more effectively deployed, but does not directly address the need for a national SEND lead.
Department for Education
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Conclusions (20)
10
Conclusion
Accepted
Insufficient funding and resources and a mismatch between local authority responsibilities and powers negatively impacts the adequacy of ordinarily available provision and SEN support. We have heard from school leaders and SENCOs that without sufficient resources, settings are struggling to provide the high quality, consistent support necessary to achieve inclusive …
Government Response Summary
The government responds to the observation about insufficient funding by detailing its significant investments in schools and high needs funding, including an increase of £4.2 billion by 2028-29, £740 million in high needs capital for 2025-26, and support for local authorities managing SEND deficits.
13
Conclusion
Accepted
Current levels of EHC plans are unsustainable; however, the solution to this cannot be to remove the statutory entitlements from a system which lacks accountability in many other areas and in which parents already have so little trust and confidence. We have heard throughout our inquiry from parents, schools, and …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of early intervention, noting it is central to the early years agenda and the Best Start in Life strategy. It outlines ongoing actions to make inclusive practice standard, increase funding for providers, fund Best Start Family hubs, and provide early language interventions, all aimed at supporting children earlier to potentially reduce the need for EHC plans.
14
Conclusion
Accepted
Support should be provided as soon as a need is identified, rather than only once an EHC plan is in place. This would bring England in line with good practice found internationally, for example in in Ontario, Canada, where entitlement is based on need rather than lengthy assessment processes. Such …
Government Response Summary
The government states it is already making changes to improve early support for children with SEND through initiatives like embedding inclusive practice, increasing funding, funding family hubs, and early language interventions. They will continue to ensure access to proven programmes.
16
Conclusion
Accepted
Parents and carers of children and young people with SEND often feel excluded from the processes that affect their children’s education and support. However, meaningful and collaborative parental involvement is essential to the success of the SEND system. When parents and carers are actively engaged in the planning, decision-making, and …
Government Response Summary
The government shares the view on the importance of parental involvement and outlines plans for extensive engagement through a Ministerial development group, regional and online sessions, and ministerial roundtables. This engagement will inform future reforms and will be followed by a formal consultation after a White Paper publication.
18
Conclusion
Accepted
Children and young people with SEND, and their families, have little trust and confidence in the SEND system, often shaped by adverse experiences. Inadequate communication and engagement from the Department with parents and carers and their organisations about future reforms, as well as media speculation, has further undermined parental trust …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for partnership and outlines specific engagement activities, including a Ministerial development group, regional and online sessions, and ministerial roundtables, to rebuild trust and inform future reforms, followed by a formal consultation.
20
Conclusion
Accepted
We have heard that accountability pressures relating to narrower measures of attainment and behaviour may incentivise schools and multi-academy trusts to adopt non-inclusive practices in order to meet narrow performance metrics. The introduction of the new Ofsted inspection framework presents a valuable opportunity to shift this dynamic. By placing greater …
Government Response Summary
The government states that Ofsted's new inspection framework, effective since November, includes an explicit focus on inclusion. It also highlights the new SEND inspection framework launched in January 2023, which aims to improve outcomes for children with SEND and refine the framework.
21
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department must urgently engage with Ofsted to ensure that the inclusion criterion within the new inspection framework is robust, measurable, and reflective of the experiences of all pupils, particularly, those with SEND. This should include incorporating metrics such as the proportion of pupils with SEND on roll, their attendance …
Government Response Summary
The government confirms Ofsted's new framework, effective since November, explicitly focuses on inclusion and that a new SEND inspection framework was launched in January 2023. The Department continues to work with Ofsted/CQC to refine the framework in line with wider SEND reforms, indicating ongoing engagement to ensure robustness.
23
Conclusion
Accepted
Area SEND inspections should engage with parents across the locality to gather the perspective of parents of children with SEND on the admissions policies and inclusive practices of local authorities, schools and multi- academy trusts in the area. (Recommendation, Paragraph 122)
Government Response Summary
The government notes that a new SEND inspection framework launched in January 2023. A recent review identified a need for greater family involvement, and the Department is continuing to work with Ofsted/CQC to refine the framework, implying that parental engagement will be strengthened.
24
Conclusion
Accepted
We have heard about significant variability in the provision of SEN support and inconsistencies in the implementation of EHC plans across education settings. The limitations of the Local Government Ombudsman’s powers mean there is insufficient accountability for the delivery of SEND support, as well as other aspects of school-based provision. …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the issues raised regarding accountability and states they will work closely with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Tribunal to determine their roles within a reformed SEND system.
29
Conclusion
Accepted
The outcomes of SEND Tribunal cases must be factored into area SEND inspections, with clear scrutiny of how repeated non-compliance reflects the quality and effectiveness of local provision. Where local authorities fail to uphold their statutory duties, this should directly lower their inspection rating. Ongoing failure must have clear consequences …
Government Response Summary
The government highlights the new SEND inspection framework (launched Jan 2023) for improving accountability and outcomes, noting DfE can act when local areas fail duties, and states DfE continues to refine the framework in line with wider SEND reforms, without explicitly confirming that tribunal outcomes will directly lower inspection ratings.
34
Conclusion
Accepted
ELSEC and NELI are positive initiatives, but far more must be done to sustain and build on the progress they are achieving. Without ongoing commitment and resources, any gains risk being temporary and insufficient to address long-term needs. (Conclusion, Paragraph 164)
Government Response Summary
The government commits to continuing fully funded access to the NELI programme until AY 2028/29, funding specialist early language leads, and ensuring education and healthcare providers collaborate on evidence-based early interventions, indicating ongoing commitment and resources.
36
Conclusion
Accepted
There is a clear need to improve the consistency and effectiveness of the SENIF across early years provision. At present, practice varies significantly between local authorities, with differences in how funding is managed and allocated. This means there is inconsistency in access to early years SEND support. Such variation undermines …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to increasing funding for providers to support children with SEND and making improvements to how funding is allocated as part of wider SEND reforms, aiming to improve inclusion and early intervention.
39
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department for Education must ensure that Best Start Family Hubs incorporate routine SEND screening and awareness as a core part of their early years services, supported by targeted training for staff and childcare providers to enhance early identification and referral. Additionally, dedicated funding must be allocated within childcare expansion …
Government Response Summary
The government highlights its existing 'Best Start in Life' strategy, which includes funding Family Hubs with trained professionals, early language interventions, and ongoing funding for SENCO training, but does not commit to introducing routine SEND screening or a new dedicated, ring-fenced funding stream for SEND-related training within Family Hub budgets.
40
Conclusion
Accepted
The commitment for every Best Start Family Hub to have a dedicated SENCO should be embedded within the SEND workforce strategy and extend to educational psychologists and speech and language therapists. (Recommendation, Paragraph 176)
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation by detailing significant investment of over £31 million to train 600 more educational psychologists by 2025, and states it is working with DHSC and NHS England to improve access to speech and language therapy, affirming support for these roles within Family Hubs.
44
Conclusion
Accepted
Greater policy focus is required on further education provision for young people with SEND. At present, both FE and SEND policy frameworks give limited consideration to the specific needs of learners post-16, and funding arrangements often fail to provide adequate resources to meet those needs. This lack of targeted attention …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for greater policy focus on post-16 SEND provision, stating its recently published Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper commits to improving support for students with SEND, including investment in specialist advice and expanded mental health services in colleges, and supporting colleges to embed SEND provision.
63
Conclusion
Accepted
These measures are essential. Without decisive action, the system will continue to lose experienced staff, leaving vulnerable pupils without the support they need and deserve. (Recommendation, Paragraph 226) 168
Government Response Summary
The government is establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) through the Employment Rights Bill to negotiate pay, terms, and advise on training and career progression for support staff, aiming to address recruitment and retention challenges.
66
Conclusion
Accepted
Shortages of educational psychologists and allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists are significantly undermining the availability and quality of SEND support. These workforce gaps delay assessments, restrict access to essential interventions, and place additional pressure on schools and multi- academy trusts to fill specialist …
Government Response Summary
The government is investing over £31 million to train 600 more educational psychologists by 2025, promoting degree apprenticeships for speech and language therapists, and working to improve access and effective deployment of allied health professionals.
68
Conclusion
Accepted
It is clear that the current levels of funding provided to schools and multi- academy trusts are inadequate to support the effective inclusion of pupils with SEND. The notional £6,000 threshold is insufficient to deliver good SEN support, placing unsustainable pressure on school budgets. The Department cannot reasonably expect inclusive …
Government Response Summary
The government highlights a £4.2 billion increase in overall schools and high needs funding by 2028–29, extends the Statutory Override for local authorities until 2027–28, and is providing £740 million high needs capital for 2025–26, with further details on deficit support to follow.
72
Conclusion
Accepted
Funding must be strategically deployed to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND. This should include prioritised investment in early intervention. Timely and targeted support is essential 170 and can prevent some needs such as speech and language and SEMH needs from escalating, reducing long-term costs …
Government Response Summary
The government is prioritising early intervention through its Best Start in Life strategy, increasing funding for early years providers, extending funding for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention until 2028/29, and funding specialist early language leads.
77
Conclusion
Accepted
We believe that a reset of local authority finances through a partial write- off of SEND-related deficits could provide a necessary step towards long- term stability. However, this must be approached with care, recognising the progress made by some local authorities through the Delivering Better Value in SEND programme and …
Government Response Summary
The government will work with local authorities to manage SEND system deficits and will extend the Statutory Override until 2027-28. Further details on supporting local authorities with historic and accruing deficits will be provided through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.