Labour MP Helen Hayes, chair of the Education Select Committee, told Rachel Reeves that the changes needed to fix the crisis-hit SEND system ”won’t come for free’
Rachel Reeves has been warned that urgently needed reforms to special educational needs and disabilities will come at a cost.
The Chancellor was warned not to take funding away from the “extremely broken system”. Labour MP Helen Hayes, the chair of the Education Select Committee, told Ms Reeves that the changes needed “won’t come for free”.
She said there must be an announcement on “transformation funding” for the system in the Budget if the Government wants to deliver the reforms that are needed.
The Schools white paper containing plans to overhaul the SEND programme has been delayed until next year, pushing it back from its previously planned release this Autumn.
It comes as the Chancellor prepares to set out the Budget on November 26, which is expected to include tax rises and spending cuts.
READ MORE: Long-awaited SEND plans delayed despite families ‘crying out for change’
Speaking to The Mirror, Ms Hayes said: “What our report is clear about is that SEND is not an issue where the government can save money, it can stabilise the level of expenditure over a period of time by delivering effective reform to the system.
“But this is a system that is extremely broken at the moment, and taking money out of that can only make things worse.
“So the government, if they want to deliver the SEND reform that’s needed, they are going to have to find transformation funding to get to a more stable position.
“With regard to the funding, the scale of this is nowhere near the same as, for example, the welfare budget and the challenges the government faces there.
“So the welfare budget is about £300billion. SEND is about £9billion. This is not an area where there are significant savings to be had, and that would be the wrong approach for the Government to take.”
She said upskilling teachers and teaching assistants will mean increasing pay, while improving the physical environment of schools, such as improving access for kids who use a wheelchair.
Investment in speech and language support for early years will cost money now but will save support costs down the line, she said.
Her committee last month set out ideas for reforms in a major report, which called for a major “culture shift” in the way SEND is embedded in mainstream schools.
Ms Hayes added: “We do know that the Government is placing an emphasis, which is the right emphasis, in my view, on making mainstream schools inclusive for the children who are already in mainstream schools, who often are not served very well at the moment. That’s the right place to start, but it won’t come for free.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “This government inherited a SEND system on its knees, and we are determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families.
“Our starting point will always be improving support for children with SEND, which is why we’re listening and engaging with parents, teachers and experts in every corner of the country, so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.
“We’re already investing £1 billion more into budgets this year to improve the system, as well as £740 million to create more specialist school places – supporting every child to achieve and thrive.”