Somerset Council will be able to write off 90 per cent of its special needs spending deficit after agreeing a plan with central government.

All Somerset schools which are not academies are currently funded through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which is provided annually to the council by the Department for Education (DfE).

The DSG grant covers the budgets for individual mainstream primary and secondary schools, along for early years provision (i.e. nursery places) and for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

Demand for SEND resources has vastly outstripped government funding for years, with officers estimating in February that the council's DSG deficit would exceed £100m by the end of the financial year.

The Department for Education (DfE) indicated in February that 90 per cent of this deficit could be written off by central government, provided that a plan to control future spending can be put in place.

The council and DfE have now agreed such a plan, meaning £95m of spending will be written off – with "significant investment" being unlocked to support SEND children and young people across the county.

In addition to writing off the debt, the plan will provide investment in the council's 'experts at hand' programme, with more than 50 additional staff being brought in.

These specialists will work locally with early years settings, schools, and colleges to help people up to the age of 25 receive the right support as early as possible.

The expanded teams will provide expertise in a range of areas, including social, emotional, and mental health, autism, speech and language therapy, neurodiversity, and occupational therapy.

The reforms will be delivered through the Somerset SEND Partnership, bringing together education, health and care services, schools and settings, parent carers, and children and young people.

Without this plan being in place, the council would have to meet the cost of the deficit as part of its annual budget from March 2028 – which could force it to declare effective bankruptcy.

Councillor Heather Shearer, portfolio holder for children, families and education, said: "This is an important vote of confidence in Somerset's plans to transform SEND services.

"The investment will help us provide more support at an earlier stage, strengthen local provision, and enable more children and young people to learn, thrive, and achieve in their communities.

"We know families want support that is timely, consistent, and easier to access.

"We will continue working alongside children, young people, parent carers, and our partners to turn this plan into lasting improvements."

Ruth Hobbs, CEO of the Somerset Parent Carer Forum, added: "We welcome the approval of Somerset's SEND reform plan and recognise the opportunity this plan provides to improve early support, strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings and create a more joined-up SEND system across Somerset.

"The approval of the plan is only the beginning. Families will rightly want to see meaningful improvements in their day-to-day experiences, including timely access to support, better communication and greater consistency across education, health and care.

"We will continue to work constructively with the council, health partners, education settings and families to ensure that the commitments in the plan translate into real and lasting improvements for children, young people and parent carers across Somerset."

Councillor Leigh Redman, who chairs the council's children and education committee (and leads the opposition Labour group), has welcomed the plan being taken forward.

Mr Redman (who represents the Bridgwater North and Central division) said: "The approval of Somerset's SEND reform plan is welcome news and reflects a significant amount of work by officers, partners, parent representatives and members.

"However, approval should not be mistaken for a conclusion. The assessment letter makes clear that Somerset must now demonstrate stronger delivery, oversight and assurance arrangements, alongside clear evidence that children and families are seeing the benefits.

"As chairman of the children and education scrutiny committee, I will continue to ensure progress is subject to robust scrutiny.

"Families have waited a long time for improvements and the focus must now be on delivery, accountability and measurable outcomes rather than plans and structures alone.

"The biggest test will be whether children and young people with SEND receive better support, at the right time, closer to home and with greater confidence in the system.

"That is the standard against which success should be judged."

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