The backing for the development plan means the Government will now release £85 million to help cover the debt accumulated by Staffordshire County Council. This debt has grown due to rising demand for SEND services outpacing available funding. The Staffordshire SEND Reform Plan was a joint submission by Staffordshire County Council and the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board.
Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Education and SEND, stated, "Staffordshire’s plan has been backed by Government and we’re already working hard with schools and the health service to deliver it and provide a better experience all the way through from nought to 25." She acknowledged that some changes will take time to show results, highlighting immediate actions such as spending £500,000 on extra staff to reduce delays in agreeing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The council has also committed funding for 48 additional special school places and created 43 supported places in mainstream schools, with a further 143 places delivered for the current school year, including a new campus in Stafford town centre for Walton Hall Academy.
Over the past six years, the number of children and young people requiring an EHCP has surged by 50 per cent, now standing at nearly 11,400. The £84.987 million allocated to Staffordshire County Council represents 90 per cent of the debt the authority had built up by March 2026 meeting this increased demand. In addition to £9 million in debt outstanding from before March 2026, the authority anticipates an overspend of £78 million on its 2026/27 budget.
Janet Higgins further commented, "The reality is that supporting children and young people with SEND remains expensive, far more expensive than the funding provided by central Government. We need to work with parents, carers and users to deliver the services they need while moving provision closer to home."
Key elements of the plan include delivering timely support within local communities to reduce the need for long-distance travel, aiming to meet needs earlier, and providing appropriate support within mainstream schools. The strategy also focuses on enhanced collaboration between education, health, social care, and voluntary sectors, alongside efforts to reduce exclusions and suspensions for pupils with SEND.
Vanessa Whatley, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, described the approval as, "An important step towards improving support for children and young people with SEND across Staffordshire." She added, "By working more closely across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector, our aim is to identify needs earlier, provide more support in local communities and make services easier for families to navigate. We know there is more to do, and we are committed to working with our partners, children, young people and families to deliver sustainable improvements over the coming years."
