Worcester MP Robin Walker continues to advocate for further Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding in Worcester and across the UK, including calling for it in this weeks budget.
As Chair of the Education Select Committee, Robin is keenly aware of the growing need for more SEND school places. Previously, he has spoken in support of further funding with the backing of the f40 group, a group of MPs who represent the lowest-funded education authorities in England.
The letter was signed by 70 MPs, including Robin, and called for a “significant increase in capital funding” which will allow local authorities to invest in the infrastructure and workforce that SEND children rely on.
Robin has also called on the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing to meet with him to discuss the future of Specialist Assessment Centres in Worcester, recognising the need for increased provision.
In the budget delivered today, the Chancellor confirmed a further £105 million in funding for an additional 15 SEND schools, the locations of which will be announced in May 2024. Robin will be encouraging Worcestershire County Council to bid for local schools in South Worcestershire of this.
He also announced the Government will confirm the location of 20 alternative provision free schools, which contribute to the number of providers for SEN children across England. Worcestershire has recently welcomed two new AP schools to support children with special needs, one in the North of the County and one in Malvern.
While this builds on the significant levels of capital invested at Spending Review 2021 to create additional places for SEN children, there currently remains more to be done in terms of creating new provision and sustaining existing providers capacity.
Robin also met with the Childrens Minister on the morning of the budget to discuss the expansion of early years provision in the county and to push for more support for early identification of need for children with SEN. He welcomed announcements in the budget of a further £500 million investment in supporting childcare settings with staffing costs and up to £500 million to support councils with the cost of adults and childrens social care.
Lastly the Government is supporting an estimated 485,000 families by raising the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) threshold from £50,000 to £60,000. This is predicted to save the average family in this bracket £1,260 in 2024/25 alone and reflects one of the key recommendations of Robin’s Education Select Committee Report on Childcare and the Early Years.
Robin Walker has secured a parliamentary debate on Thursday 14th March 2024 as part of this continued campaign improve High Needs Funding and to meet the levels of demand required SEND provision across England, including within Worcester. Yesterday he secured permission from the backbench business committee for this to be on the key estimates debates to be held in the immediate aftermath of the budget.
Robin commented saying;
“Both as a local MP and as chair of the education select committee I have prioritised supporting families and children with special educational needs.
"I warmly welcome additional investment in this space including a programme for commissioning more specialist schools, added investment in the childcare offers, where the Government is already doubling public investment to help children get the early education and parents get the childcare they need.
"I will keep pressing for more investment and more local provision in this space.”