Somerset Council has agreed a £5.3 million investment over the next two years to strengthen support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The funding will be used to increase capacity across SEND services, help reduce delays in Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), improve the timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC plans), and provide additional support for young people preparing for adulthood.
Demand for SEND services has continued to grow in recent years. At the end of May 2026, there were 6,578 children and young people with an EHC plan in Somerset, with the number of plans increasing significantly over the last five years.
The investment will fund additional Education Psychologists, SEND officers, business support and temporary specialist staff to help services respond to growing demand and improve timescales.
Additional investment will also support Somerset’s Preparation for Adulthood work, including extra Learning Mentors within the Virtual School to support young people with SEND who are at risk of becoming, or who are already, not in education, employment or training.
This investment forms part of Somerset’s wider programme of SEND improvement, helping to increase capacity, reduce delays and improve support for children, young people and families.
Families can also find updated information about the EHC plan process on the Somerset SEND Local Offer, including clearer step-by-step guidance, information about phase transfers, current average waiting times and links to online forms.
Find out more about SEND services and support on the Somerset SEND Local Offer: www.somerset.gov.uk/local-offer/
