Extra £1m to deliver local support for Derbyshire SEND families

Derbyshire County Council is set to invest an additional £1m to increase the number of people available to assess and review the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Cabinet, which meets on Thursday 10th September 2026, will be asked to agree the funding towards the cost of employing more staff to support families through the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process.

It follows changes which will see staff working to support families in local areas, helping them to build stronger relationships with families, schools and partners so they have a better understanding of the community’s needs.

Councillor Simon Mabbott, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for SEND and Education, said: “Every family wants to be able to access the right support for their child and deal with people who understand their individual circumstances.

“Most families won’t see any difference to the support they receive as we make these changes behind the scenes. Most importantly though, they will have one officer dealing with their case from start to finish which will speed up the EHCP process and reduce delays.

“Staff will get to know the needs of their families by building stronger relationships and working with other professionals locally to ensure they are getting the right support at the right time.”

The new approach is expected to provide:

• More consistent support with the Education Health and Care Plan process through stronger local relationships
• Better co-ordination between SEND officers, educational psychologists, inclusion services and other professionals.
• A greater understanding of the needs of local communities

The changes will increase staffing levels in each locality reflecting demand so the council can respond to increasing numbers of requests for EHCPs.

In July, there were more than 10,000 Education, Health and Care Plans in Derbyshire, compared with 3,626 in 2022.

Preparations are already under way to relocate local teams, provide additional staff training and transfer cases where needed to ensure a smooth transition for families.

Councillor Mabbott added: “We know there is more work to do, but we have already made significant progress in improving our support to families. I would like to thank them for their patience and continued engagement. Working together, we can achieve better outcomes for children and young people across Derbyshire and ensure families receive the support they deserve.”

The proposed funding follows £1.3 million to recruit an additional 20 staff into key SEND teams.

The extra capacity has helped increase the number of EHCPs completed, accelerate reviews and strengthen communication with families.

These proposals form part of Derbyshire’s SEND Improvement Plan following an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in September 2024.

Their report highlighted a number of areas requiring work to improve the effectiveness of local education, health and care services to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND aged up to 25.