Somerset Council Secures Government Approval for SEND Reform Plan
Significant investment unlocked to enhance support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across the county.
By Verity Coombes
••3 min read
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Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities engaging in a supportive learning environment.
Somerset Council has received approval from the Department for Education for its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reform Plan, unlocking significant investment to improve support services across the county.
The approval, granted on Friday 2 October, signifies a major step towards earlier help, greater inclusion in mainstream education, and more integrated services for children, young people, and their families in Somerset. This initiative aims to strengthen the support system for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The plan includes substantial investment in Somerset’s Experts at Hand programme, the recruitment of over 50 additional specialist staff, and crucial Government funding. This funding will address approximately £95 million of the Council’s historic Dedicated Schools Grant deficit, a long-standing financial risk. The contribution will cover 90% of this deficit, alleviating the burden on the Council’s own funds.
The newly appointed specialists will work directly with early years settings, schools, and colleges throughout Somerset, supporting children and young people aged 0 to 25. Their expertise will cover a wide range of areas, including social, emotional, and mental health; autism and communication; cognition and learning; sensory processing and regulation; educational psychology; speech and language therapy; neurodiversity; and occupational therapy.
The reforms will be implemented through the Somerset SEND Partnership, a collaborative effort involving education, health, and care services, schools, parent carers, children, and young people. This integrated approach is designed to foster better outcomes and build a more inclusive and financially sustainable SEND system for the future.
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"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."
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"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 Somerset 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."
The Government's support for 90% of the historic deficit represents a significant financial reset, providing a stronger foundation for delivering sustainable SEND services. Somerset Council and its partners will now focus on implementing the plan and ensuring families, schools, and settings are kept informed of the reforms' progress.
Based on information from the official source: Somerset Council (06/10/2026)
