SEND
A strong future for SEND services
The Bi-Borough - Westminster City Council and Kensington & Chelsea RLBC - is breaking new ground with next generation SEND case management, according to Vik Verma and Julie Ely.
Let's put investment into our school buildings
Schools capital allocations have been skewed by political priorities, says Gary Fielding As a result, North Yorkshire CC 'find ourselves with swathes of the country having insufficient places to meet demand and/or poor building conditions'.
A gap that will prove hard to close
Dan Peters investigates the scale of the funding challenge faced by the 32 councils told by the Government to bring their SEND funding deficit back into balance within three years.
‘We must do more than tinker at the edges’
The system needs a truly sustainable multi-year financial settlement to ensure children and young people with SEND get the support they need, argues Phil Norrey.
Inspectors expose SEND weaknesses in Bristol
Watchdogs have criticised Bristol City Council for ‘significant areas of weakness’ in its provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The rise of SEN Tribunals and how to prepare for them
Lawyer John Roberts outlines what to expect from a Special Education Needs Tribunal and how local authorities and schools can prepare for one.
London borough rejects insourcing children’s services
Kingston LBC had considered returning services from a wholly-owned company when their contract ends in 2021.
Crossing the divide
Here Emmet Regan and Michael Wyatt set out a balanced methodology for considering the transition from children’s social care to adult social care that takes as wide a view as possible.
Our hope is for financial independence
Conservative councillors are working hard to secure a strong Conservative majority in Parliament that will usher in a new era of financial independence for councils, says LGA Conservative Group leader, Cllr Izzi Seccombe.
Bristol accused of 'abject failure' over SEND care plans
An overhaul of services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is under way at Bristol City Council, after it failed to meet deadlines for families applying for support.
Redefining what good looks like
Impower’s annual top 10 list is a celebration of strong council performance and, as Jon Ainger explains, many local authorities have stepped up to the challenge.
EXCLUSIVE: England's top 10 councils revealed
Calderdale MBC and Oxfordshire CC have clambered their way into consultancy Impower’s list of England’s most productive councils this year, The MJ can reveal.
Working with young people across Medway to reduce the number of NEET
Medway Council has achieved significant falls in the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). Ian Sutherland explains how this has been achieved.
Councils ‘set up to fail’ on SEND
A committee of MPs has acknowledged the Government’s proposal for a significant increase in high needs block funding next year - but say it will make little difference without ‘a systemic cultural shift’. Ann McGauran reports.
‘A paradigm shift is what is required’
The unintended consequences of the 2014 SEND reforms are starting to impact on the viability of many councils, according to Ian Thomas. He says Kingston upon Thames RLBC and its partners are focusing on reducing demand through earlier intervention.
Hold SEND balances centrally or provide 'sufficient funding'
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) crisis should be tackled by providing ‘sufficient funding’ or by holding balances centrally instead of on council balance sheets, a chief executive has told The MJ.
It’s not clicking for Surrey
It’s been a bad few weeks at the office for Surrey CC’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) team.
MPs call for end to 'one-off' SEND inspections
Joint ‘one-off’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted inspections of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services should not continue, MPs have concluded.
We need the power
The Queen's Speech made it clear that Government has been listening to the LGA on some key issues, says James Jamieson - 'but we now need a long-term settlement that gives local government the powers, money and certainty to transform their areas'.
London trails East Midlands and South West in schools funding increases
The East Midlands and South West have emerged as the biggest winners from education budgets announced this week.