The Young People, Learning and Employment Policy and Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 15 July 2025 to discuss the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy 2021-24 Review and the rising costs and challenges in providing care for children with complex needs. The committee reviewed the proposed SEND Strategy for 2025-2030 and discussed the financial pressures and market challenges impacting the provision of care for children with complex needs.

SEND Strategy 2021-24 Review

The committee reviewed the proposed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy for the period 2025-2030, titled A Fairer Future: Strategy for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities . This strategy, jointly owned by Westminster Council, the North West London Integrated Care Board (NWL ICB), NHS providers, and the Parent Carer Forum 'Make it Happen', aims to create a supportive and inclusive environment for children and young people with SEND in Westminster. Key elements of the strategy include ensuring a named officer for every child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), increasing staffing within the SEN service to reduce caseloads, and a focus on workforce development to meet increasing demands. The strategy also incorporates feedback from stakeholders, including young people and parents, and aligns with the Council's Fairer Westminster plan and health objectives.

The committee also considered Westminster's Local Area Self-Evaluation, which outlines areas of strength and development in education, health, and social care services for children and young people with SEND. The self-evaluation highlights that children with SEND in Westminster are more likely to attend good or outstanding schools, with smaller attainment gaps compared to national averages. Progress has been made in reducing waiting times for neurodevelopmental diagnoses, and a whole-system approach to speech, language, and communication needs has been embedded. The strategy proposes to implement the new plan from September 2025, with funding primarily from the high needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant.

Rising Costs and Challenges in Providing Care for Children with Complex Needs

The committee discussed the significant national and local increases in the cost of providing care for children with complex needs, which is placing considerable financial strain on local authorities. The report highlighted that placements costing over £0.5 million per year are increasing, with the average weekly cost for the top ten most expensive placements in London reaching £10,816. Westminster's average cost among these placements was £9,397, below the London average.

The profile of children requiring these high-cost placements typically involves older children (14-17 years old) with complex behavioural and mental health needs, autism, learning disabilities, and contextual safeguarding risks such as exploitation. Many of these children have experienced placement breakdowns and require specialist support, often with a high staff-to-child ratio. The report noted that a significant portion of Westminster's budget for looked-after children is spent on a small number of these high-cost placements, accounting for 40% of the total budget for looked-after children placements in the last financial year.

The committee was informed about challenges in the placements market, including a lack of suitable provision, high profits for larger private providers, and a national shortage of secure welfare provision. This has led to children waiting extended periods for placements and, in some cases, the commissioning of unregistered provision, which carries significant reputational risk. The report also detailed the impact of the health system, with stretched Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and reductions in jointly funded placements with the North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Westminster City Council has implemented several initiatives to address these pressures, including piloting the Mockingbird initiative to support foster carers, participating in the Fostering with West London collaboration to attract new foster carers, and expanding in-house semi-independent living for care leavers. The council is also part of a not-for-profit company to open a new secure children's home in London and has a dedicated role to improve partnership arrangements with health partners, securing significant contributions to packages of care.

The committee was asked to consider how to raise the profile of this issue and influence national policy. Recommendations for future focus included lobbying for legislative changes to support joint commissioning of provision for children with complex needs, where health and social care needs are intertwined, and advocating for a place-based funding model led by the Director of Children's Services. The financial implications include an overspend on the total placement budget and a shortfall in expected income from Health contributions.