Somerset Council’s Executive will be asked to approve a major package of one-off investment to strengthen support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) when it meets on Wednesday 1 July 2026.
The proposals would provide £5.331m over two years to increase capacity across the SEND system, tackle backlogs in Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), improve the timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and provide more support for young people preparing for adulthood.
If approved, the funding would be released from the Council’s Business Risk Reserve in three stages, with progress monitored as additional temporary staff and specialist support are put in place.
The investment is designed to make a real and practical difference for families across Somerset by helping the Council respond to rising demand, reduce delays, and improve statutory compliance in key areas of SEND support.
Demand for SEND services has increased significantly in recent years. At the same time, the Council is facing significant pressures in meeting statutory timescales. The number of children and young people with EHCPs in Somerset stood at 6578 at the end of May 2026, with EHCP numbers rising from 2.6% of pupils in school in 2019/20 to 5.4% in 2024/25 and currently is at 5.8% for 2025/26 (compared to 6% nationally).
The proposed investment would fund additional Education Psychologists, SEND support officers, business support, legal capacity and temporary staffing across statutory SEND services. It would also support a restructure and temporary expansion of the service to reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and help teams keep pace with growing demand.
The funding would also increase capacity within the Preparation for Adulthood function in the Virtual School, with additional Learning Mentors supporting young people with SEND who are at risk of becoming, or who are already, not in education, employment or training.
Lead Member for SEND, Public Health, and Equalities and Diversity at Somerset Council, Cllr Evie Potts-Jones, said:
“We know that too many children, young people and families have been waiting too long for their education. That is not good enough, and we are determined to improve.
“This proposed investment is about putting extra capacity where it is needed most, so that we can reduce delays, improve timeliness and give families clearer answers sooner.”
Cllr Potts-Jones added:
“It also supports our wider ambition to build a stronger, more inclusive and more sustainable SEND system in Somerset — one that helps children and young people get the right support, in the right place, at the right time.”
The report to Executive brings together three linked proposals: £3.169m to clear the majority of the EHCNA backlog and improve EHCP timeliness; £1.743m to address capacity and structure within SEND services; and £419,590 to expand Preparation for Adulthood support in the Virtual School.
The additional resources would be temporary and time-limited, allowing the Council to reduce current backlogs while assessing the impact of wider changes, including the use of artificial intelligence to support EHCP drafting, a systems review of EHCP processes, changes in school rolls, and the Government’s national SEND reform programme.
Executive members will consider the report and recommendations at their meeting on Wednesday 1 July 2026.