Julian warns that council now has ‘no excuses’ following 7.5% budget hike for Special Educational Needs support
November 4, 2019
Julian has today urged City of York Council to take full advantage of a 7.5% increase in their high needs education budget awarded to them by central government.
It comes as reports have grown locally of parents struggling to access formal support for their children through a funded Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Only 846 children in the city currently benefit from a plan, putting York in the bottom ten local authorities nationally.
In March, Julian organised a debate in Parliament after being approached by numerous constituents asking for help with EHCP applications. In the debate, he highlighted that the current system for allocating support risks leaving behind the 80% of children with SEN who do not have an EHCP.
After hearing about the funding increase, Julian said:
“I am delighted that central government are starting to fulfill their side of the deal and providing meaningful increases in SEN funding in England. However, as I said back in March, it is not just about funding increases, it is also about how schools and local authorities allocate the support.
Whilst I have nothing but respect for the local professionals working to support our children, the fact is that York has fallen behind comparable council areas with the number of EHCPs that are being granted. The 7.5% budget increase for the city means that there are now no excuses and I hope that serious progress can be made in closing this gap.”
