Parents lose SEND High Court challenge

Parents have lost a High Court case against two councils over SEND funding

Parents who said their councils had illegally reduced services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have lost their High Court battle.

The claim was brought against Devon County Council and Bristol City Council's involvement in multimillion-pound rescue packages from the government - known as Safety Valve agreements.

Parents claimed the deal involved the councils agreeing to make cuts to SEND services without any consultation with families or examining the long-term implications for children.

The National Audit Office warned in October that two-fifths of councils could be at risk of declaring bankruptcy by March 2026 because they were overspending on their high-needs budgets.

Steadily rising

In March 2024, the previous government agreed a bailout of £53.7m for Bristol City Council and £95m for Devon County Council.

Safety Valve agreements are currently in place for 38 local authorities across the country in a bid to control high levels of spending.

The case was heard over three days at the High Court in Bristol in January.

The number of children with SEND has been steadily rising and is currently at about 1.6m.