Council leader's SEND comments shameful - minister

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said claims children are being over diagnosed with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are "reckless"

A government minister has criticised claims by the leader of Derbyshire County Council that children are being "overdiagnosed" with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Derbyshire's Reform UK leader Alan Graves told the BBC last week that he agreed with the party's national leader Nigel Farage, who previously said there was a "massive" overdiagnosis for "general behavioural disabilities".

Graves also suggested some schools encouraged parents to apply for support their children did not need.

Speaking on a visit to Derby, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the comments were "reckless".

"This is frankly shameful," she told the BBC.

"I've met with parents in Derbyshire who've been badly failed by the local council, who have been seriously let down and their children are really struggling.

"We are determined to deliver a better system of support for children with SEND but this kind of characterisation gets us nowhere.

"It's really damaging and I think it's shocking. And parents will be really concerned about those comments.

"Some councils like Derbyshire are now, under Reform, taking a very reckless approach in terms of the language they're using."

Data from the Department for Education released in June shows an increase in the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) - legally binding documents which enable children to access the support they need from local authorities.

There were 638,745 in place across the country in January 2025, up 10.8% on the same point last year.

In Derbyshire, the rise has been higher, with 8,000 EHCPs in place by spring this year, a rise of 17.8% on 2024.

The government is looking to reform the SEND system with proposed changes expected to be announced in October.

However, Phillipson declined to confirm whether EHCPs would remain in place when the government sets out its position.

"We're looking right across the system about the support that's needed," she said.

The education secretary was visiting Derby College

In a letter to the Guardian newspaper last month, campaigners said without EHCPs in mainstream schools, "many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether".

"Whatever the SEND system's problems, the answer is not to remove the rights of children and young people. Families cannot afford to lose these precious legal protections," they said.

Signatories to the letter include the heads of charities, professors, SEND parents including actor Sally Phillips, and campaigners including broadcaster Chris Packham.

The Liberal Democrats' education spokesperson Munira Wilson said talk of removing EHCPs would be "a great cause of concern for parents", adding that "no child, or their family, should face uncertainty over receiving the support they need".

"I think there is widespread recognition including from parents that the system we have just isn't working, I've heard that directly from parents in Derbyshire," Phillipson told the BBC on Tuesday.

"Children with SEND will continue to have legal protections, that is important. But I don't think anybody looks at the system that we've got right now and thinks that it's working well.

"We take too long to put in place the support that's needed for children."

She added: "But we are listening to parents."

Phillipson added the reforms would ensure councils would be "in a much better position to provide support" amid spiralling bills for SEND provision.

Derbyshire County Council's SEND services are currently being monitored by the government after a damning Ofsted report last year.

The council's costs to support children in special schools rose by £15m to about £38m in 2024-25, according to council documents.

Alan Graves was approached for comment.