A System in Crisis: The Damning Public Accounts Committee Report on SEND Support By Laurence Guinness, CEO of Variety, The Children's Charity

The recently published Public Accounts Committee report on support for children with special educational needs paints a devastating picture of a system that is failing the very children it was designed to protect. As the CEO of Variety, where we work daily to improve the lives of disadvantaged children with disabilities and special needs, the findings are deeply troubling but sadly unsurprising.?

The report highlights that despite a 58% increase in high needs funding over the last decade, the Department for Education has failed to keep pace with a staggering 140% increase in children requiring Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. At Variety, we see first-hand how this funding shortfall impacts families through our work providing specialist equipment, wheelchairs, and sensory equipment to children with SEND.?

Perhaps most concerning is the revelation that only half of EHC plans were issued within the statutory 20-week period in 2023. Behind this statistic are real children waiting months, sometimes years, for vital support. The postcode lottery of support is equally troubling, with the proportion of children with EHC plans varying dramatically across local authorities - from 2.7% in Nottinghamshire to 7.5% in Tower Hamlets.?

The report's findings on tribunal appeals are particularly damning. While only 2.5% of local authority decisions were appealed in 2023, tribunals found in favour of parents in 98% of cases. This statistic exposes the systemic failures in initial decision-making and highlights the stress many parents endure in being forced to appeal in what has become an adversarial system.?

The financial crisis looming over SEND provision is equally alarming. By March 2026, when the current accounting arrangements end, 66 local authorities (43%) risk effective bankruptcy due to SEND-related deficits. The Department forecasts an annual funding gap of up to ￡3.9 billion by 2027-28. This financial uncertainty threatens to further deteriorate the quality of support available to children with special needs.?

At Variety, we're increasingly having to fill gaps in statutory provision. While we're proud to support disadvantaged children with vital equipment and opportunities, our charitable work should complement, not replace, state provision. The fact that more families are turning to charities like ours for basic support equipment highlights the system's fundamental failures.?

The report's emphasis on the need for earlier intervention and better mainstream school inclusion resonates with our experience. However, with only 56% of teachers feeling confident to support children with additional needs, and no specific funding for inclusivity, achieving this seems distant without significant reform.?

The Committee's recommendations for urgent action are welcome, particularly the call for better data collection, clear costed plans, and improved cross-department working. However, having witnessed numerous reform attempts over the years, what's needed now is decisive action backed by adequate funding.?

As we await the government's response, Variety will continue supporting children with SEND through our practical assistance programs. However, it's clear that without fundamental system reform and proper investment, we risk failing a generation of children who deserve better from their education system.?

The PAC report confirms what many in the sector have long known - the SEND system is in crisis. The question now is whether the government will finally take the decisive action needed to fix it.?

Read the full report here:?

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/204725/send-emergency-unviable-system-will-end-in-lost-generation-of-children-without-reform/#:~:text=The%20PAC%20finds%20that%20too,liable%20to%20produce%20marked%20inequalities?