Councils warn of 'critical' staffing risks to the SEND overhaul
What happened
Councils across England have warned the government that its plans to reform support for children with special educational needs and disabilities may run into serious trouble. The warnings were reported by Tes on 7 September 2026, drawing on risk assessments produced by local authorities. SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. An EHCP, or education, health and care plan, is the legal document that sets out the support a child is entitled to. Getting one can be a long and exhausting process for families. The government's reforms aim to reduce how many children need an EHCP by making ordinary schools better at supporting them without one. The plan comes with £4 billion of investment over three years, including £200 million to build up capacity in local councils. Ministers have also pledged to clear 90% of councils' SEND-related debts if the reforms go ahead. Those debts are substantial. Councils' combined SEND deficits total more than £4 billion. The proportion of pupils with an EHCP was 5.3% in 2024-25. It is predicted to rise to 7.7% by 2029-30, before falling to 4.7% by 2034-35 if the reforms work as intended. Councils are not disputing the goal. They are questioning whether the staff exist to deliver it.
Why this matters
This is a health story as much as an education one. The support that keeps a child with additional needs in a mainstream classroom is often clinical: speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and assessment by educational psychologists. Those are not teaching roles. They are specialist services, and they are already stretched. So the reform depends on a workforce that councils say they cannot currently recruit. Hertfordshire County Council described the workforce shortage as a 'critical risk', and warned about the 'absence of a national workforce strategy'. Cheshire West and Chester Council rated the risk of failing to recruit as 'crisis-level', and marked it 'very likely'. For families, the practical consequence of a therapist shortage is simple and painful: waiting. A child waiting for a speech and language assessment is not standing still developmentally. Those months matter. And this affects a lot of households. On current figures, roughly one child in twenty has an EHCP, and many more receive SEN support without one.
What the evidence actually says
What we have here are risk registers: documents in which councils list what could go wrong. That is exactly what they are supposed to do. A risk is a possibility, not a prediction, and publishing one is a sign of planning rather than failure. Councils named several concerns. Recruitment of specialists, particularly educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, was the most consistent worry. Funding visibility was another. Phil Haslett, interim chair of the f40 group of local councils, said councils 'only have visibility of funding for the first financial year', which makes strategic planning 'incredibly difficult'. That is a fair point about any multi-year reform: you cannot recruit a therapist on a one-year budget. Cambridgeshire County Council raised what it called a cultural resistance risk: that parents may push back if reforms look like a way of diluting what children are entitled to. Councils also flagged teacher workload and burnout, and questioned whether there is enough funding for genuinely inclusive mainstream support. What this reporting does not tell us is whether the reforms will succeed. It does not show that support has got worse, and it does not show ministers are ignoring the warnings. It shows the people responsible for delivering the plan have identified the same bottleneck repeatedly: staff. The projections quoted are also just that: projections. The forecast fall to 4.7% by 2034-35 assumes the reforms work.
Practical advice
If your child has SEND, or you think they might, here is what is useful right now. Keep your own records. Note dates of assessments, referrals, appointments and any promises made. If you have to chase, dates are your strongest tool. Ask the school's SENCO, the special educational needs coordinator, what support your child can have now, without waiting for an EHCP. Support does not legally depend on having a plan. Know the timescales. Once a council agrees to carry out an EHC needs assessment, there are statutory time limits for each stage. Ask your council to confirm which stage you are at and by when the next step is due. Use your local SENDIASS. Every area has a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service. It is free, confidential and impartial, and it can help you understand your rights. If a therapy waiting list is long, ask what you can do at home in the meantime. Many services provide interim advice, activities or group sessions while you wait. It is always worth asking rather than assuming. If your child takes regular medicine, make sure school has an up-to-date individual healthcare plan and in-date supplies. And if you are worn down by the process, you are not alone. Many parents describe it that way. Local parent carer forums exist in most areas and can be a real source of support.
What to know
Tes reported on 7 September 2026 that councils have flagged serious risks to the government's SEND reforms in their own risk assessments. The reforms are backed by £4 billion over three years, including £200 million for council capacity, and a pledge to clear 90% of councils' SEND debts, which total more than £4 billion. The most common warning is a shortage of specialists: educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Hertfordshire called it a 'critical risk'; Cheshire West and Chester rated recruitment failure as 'crisis-level' and 'very likely'. EHCPs covered 5.3% of pupils in 2024-25 and are forecast to peak at 7.7% by 2029-30 before falling to 4.7% by 2034-35 if reforms succeed. For families, the practical steps are to keep records, ask the school SENCO what help is available now, learn the statutory timescales, and contact your local SENDIASS for free impartial advice. Sources: Tes, 'Government warned of critical risks to SEND reforms', 7 September 2026, https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/government-warned-critical-risks-send-reforms ; Department for Education, GOV.UK, accessed 7 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education ; GOV.UK, 'Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)', accessed 7 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist, therapist or other qualified professional. For advice about your child's education rights, contact your local SENDIASS service.
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