Telford council set for major SEND shake-up after government gives go-ahead

Telford & Wrekin Council is embarking on a huge shake up of special educational needs provision after being given the green light by the government.

A meeting heard that the council acted as the West Midlands lead for trial activity and has this month been given the green light to implement its Local SEND Reform Plan.

Councillors were told that the authority is "ahead of the game" as Telford and Wrekin works to create a "fully integrated" system for 0-25 year olds.

Officials want to give children and young people the "right support, at the right time and in the right place."

Councillors were told that workers are looking to intervene early "from birth upwards" to support children before they go to school.

Service chiefs are working on a "clear presumption" that children will be included in mainstream education while at the same time making sure that individuals get relevant support.

The children and young people scrutiny committee was given an overview of national SEND Reform plans and the borough's response to that.

Thursday's committee was reminded that the education system is under enormous and growing pressure.

Officials told councillors that the first year of the council's implementation will be used to "test new approaches, understand impact and refine delivery".

Council services are being set up in three local areas in the borough called "Wrekin, Hadley Castle and Lakeside" to create distinctly local offers.

Officials mentioned that an innovative "lending library" for assistive technology has been set up. It is allowing schools to try out technologies that help children before investing.

The council is also seeking to commission more speech and language therapists who will work in primary and secondary schools, the meeting heard.

Councillor and teacher Kim Tonks (Liberal Democrats, Admaston & Bratton) asked officials what the plan is to reduce waiting times for mental health assessments.

She was told that the new system is not about "waiting for a diagnosis" but identifying needs and triggering early intervention support faster.

Councillors were told that the alternative was to continue to respond "mainly when needs have escalated."

But a report to councillors recorded that the evidence "indicates that this would not address rising demand, confidence in mainstream support, reliance on external placements or pressure on the High Needs budget."

Ever increasing high needs has created "significant financial pressures, both in Telford & Wrekin and nationally."

The overall financial gap between grants for such provision and the actual cost of services across the country has exceeded £5billion, officials noted.

Telford & Wrekin Council is holding on to a growing but ring fenced debt.

But officials said that the borough's SEND Reform plan will lead to the payment of a grant equivalent to 90 per cent of Telford & Wrekin's accumulated deficit.

The report concluded by stating that the implementation of Telford & Wrekin’s Local SEND Reform Plan "will support the council’s strategic ambition to create a child friendly borough in which every child and young person is able to thrive and achieve their potential."

A recent meeting of the council's cabinet was told that the Dedicated Schools Grant from the government is £133m for 2026/27.

The DSG is a ring-fenced revenue grant which the council uses to fund schools, early years provision, and high-needs SEND services. High needs have been allocated a bigger slice of the pie each year.

The borough's deficit was £9.21m at the end of 2025/26 which has carried forward into 2026/27. It was made up of a £4.66m deficit carried forward from 2024/25 plus the 2025/26 in-year overspend of £4.55m.

Officials reported that the deficit arises because of high needs budget pressure, which is a national issue involving more than 80 per cent of upper tier councils.

Rising demand for high needs support led to a decision by representatives of local schools and the council to increase the amount spent on high needs this year by another £0.9 million.

Financial reports written for a cabinet meeting on October 15 recorded that the council is hoping to receive a High Needs Stability Grant of approximately £8.3m at the end of next month (November 2026).

Reforms are expected to take some time to kick in and the council forecasts a deficit at the end of the year.

DSG deficits are held in a separate pot in local authorities’ accounts and are left out of calculations for councils' available savings or funding pools.

That separate accounting treatment has been allowed to continue to March 31, 2028, the cabinet papers recorded.