Your Weekly SEND Newsletter | Volume 52

Plus: 📣 Join Us - UK GovTech Drinks Reception at LGA Conference, Liverpool

Author

Rafe Houston
May 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 33 minutes

Special Educational Needs

Welcome to UK Govtech SEND, your weekly newsletter offering the latest insights, strategies, and updates to help UK educators and leaders champion inclusivity and innovation in special educational needs and disabilities.

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THIS WEEK’S RADAR🎯

  • Drinks Reception at LGA: Join SEND leaders in Liverpool to explore how GenAI is reshaping care and education delivery.

  • Funding Falling Short: Despite £1B pledged, most special schools see no boost — real impact demands funding reach the front line.

  • Support Plans Axed: Scrapping SEND plans puts 570,000 children at risk — cost-cutting shouldn’t come at the expense of inclusion.

  • Webinar Recap: Agilisys shares practical AI insights from 35+ councils — essential viewing for forward-thinking SEND teams.

  • Somerset’s AI Pilot: New tech is cutting EHCP delays, but quality and privacy concerns must be addressed head-on.

  • Speech Support Rollout: ELSEC targets 20,000 children for early intervention — a crucial step in reversing post-pandemic setbacks.

EXCLUSIVE EVENT

📅 Tuesday 1st July​

🕕 6:00 – 7:30 PM​

📍LGA Conference, Liverpool​

Are you attending Local Government Association Conference in Liverpool? ​

Join us for a drinks reception hosted by UK GovTech to explore and celebrate the growing role of Generative AI in Children’s and Adults' Services.​

This reception will bring together leaders from local government to share knowledge, reflect on the accomplishments of pioneering councils, and connect over the opportunities GenAI presents for public service delivery.​

Come and enjoy drinks and nibbles, meet peers driving innovation, and help shape the future of AI in social care.​

EDUCATION FUNDING

Despite the government’s pledge of an extra £1 billion for high needs SEND funding, 74 per cent of surveyed local authorities have not increased allocations for special schools, forcing many to face real-terms cuts amid rising demand and costs. Most of the funding is addressing historic deficits rather than reaching pupils, threatening the quality of provision for vulnerable children. Immediate attention is needed to ensure resources genuinely benefit those they are intended to support.

EDUCATION POLICY

Ministers’ decision to scrap support plans for special-needs children threatens to deprive some of the 570,000 affected of essential assistance. This measure, motivated by cost-saving, has raised significant concern among campaigners over the welfare and educational prospects of vulnerable children. Immediate attention and public scrutiny are crucial.

AI IN SEND

No problem we have you covered! ​

In the session, Agilisys explored how AI is being used to support SEND professionals, shared lessons from working with over 35 councils, and discussed how to embed responsible, human-centred AI in EHCP processes.​

For councils exploring how AI can help meet rising demand and do more with less — this is essential viewing.​

PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION

Somerset Council is piloting AI to produce first drafts of special educational needs reports for vulnerable children, aiming to reduce administrative delays and allow more staff-parent engagement. While efficiency gains are possible, concerns over data privacy and report quality remain significant for stakeholders.

EDUCATION INTERVENTION

Up to 20,000 children, notably those with SEND, will receive earlier support for speech and language needs under the ELSEC programme, addressing a critical rise in developmental delays post-pandemic. Funded by £3.4 million this year, ELSEC deploys specialist teams to train staff and directly intervene, reducing protracted waiting times for therapy. Early identification and targeted intervention are essential to mitigating long-term academic, social, and emotional challenges for affected children.