Charities have hit out following reports that the government is aiming to reduce the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), raising concerns that support for vulnerable children will be withheld.
SEND and education leaders have said they are “deeply concerned” after reports that the government has signed a contract targeting 20 per cent cuts to the number of new EHCPs for children with SEND, in a bid to reduce costs.
The £19.5 million contract was signed in June last year by the Department for Education and consultancy firm Newton Europe, to launch the development of the Delivering Better Values (DBV) for SEND programme, which will support 55 councils to reduce their SEND budget deficits.
The deliverables section of the contract states that the signatories intend that the councils’ budget management plans under the DBV programme will help to achieve “impacts”, including “reduced cost pressure” as a result of “reduced growth in number of EHCPs, targeting at least a 20 per cent reduction”, The Observer revealed.
