Somerset Council will be able to write off £95m of its spending deficit on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) after agreeing a recovery plan with the Department for Education.
The arrangement covers 90% of the deficit and includes new investment in SEND services across Somerset. It will affect families, schools and young people in Yeovil as part of the countywide system.
Without the agreement, the council would have had to meet the cost of the deficit through its annual budget from March 2028. The BBC reported that this could have forced the authority to declare effective bankruptcy.
What the plan means for SEND services
The package includes the introduction of 50 additional specialists to work with young people up to the age of 25. The aim is to provide support as early as possible, with the expanded team expected to bring expertise in several areas.
- Social, emotional and mental health
- Autism
- Speech and language therapy
- Neurodiversity
- Occupational therapy
The investment follows a sharp rise in demand for SEND resources. In February, it was estimated that Somerset Council’s dedicated schools grant deficit would exceed £100m by the end of the financial year.
The dedicated schools grant is provided annually by the Department for Education. It funds the budgets of individual mainstream primary and secondary schools, early-years provision and support for children with SEND. Academies are not funded through the council in the same way.
Families welcome chance to improve support
The Somerset Parent Carer Forum, a community interest company, welcomed the agreement. It said the plan offered an opportunity to improve early support, strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings and create a more joined-up SEND system.
Councillor Heather Shearer, the council’s portfolio holder for children, families and education, said the investment would help more children and young people “learn, thrive and achieve in their communities”.
“We know families want support that is timely, consistent and easier to access.”
She added that the council would continue working with children, young people, parent carers and its partners to turn the plan into “lasting improvements”.
The agreement comes as the council faces continued scrutiny over the accessibility and timeliness of support. Related reporting has highlighted families’ experiences of waiting for education, health and care plans and difficulties accessing suitable education, although the new arrangement is intended to improve services earlier in a child or young person’s journey.
For families in Yeovil, the immediate significance is the planned expansion of specialist support across Somerset. The source does not provide a local timetable for recruitment, identify individual Yeovil schools or set out when particular services will change.