Bucks Council Cuts Worsen Special Needs Education Crisis

Hey, wanna hear about something happening at Bucks Council? They cut funding for some educational psychologists. These psychologists, called “locums,” helped kids with special needs. A locum told the local paper about it anonymously.

These locums weren’t regular staff, but were essential for special education services. They assess kids to see if they need special plans, called EHCPs, which councils are legally obligated to create. More kids presently need these plans, which leads families to face long waits, causing a crisis.

Bucks Council handled over 7,000 EHCPs last October, a 14% increase from last year and 112% higher than ten years ago. EHCPs should take 20 weeks, but Bucks families often wait longer, and the council even got in trouble.

The council told psychologists to tackle the backlog, but claims there is less money now. A full staff is expected soon, with sixteen psychologists by September. The council’s chief psychologist is worried, as he cannot use locums to help.

He said budget issues limit locum cases, allowing them to handle only two cases per week total. The former locum said the case backlog now worsens because they are not using locums anymore.

This locum works for other councils too and says those councils still use locums. EHCP assessments are a legal duty, and it’s wrong for the council just not to do them. Families are then facing longer delays because of this.

Data shows parents are more frustrated, causing more people to take the council to tribunals. Tribunal cases about EHCPs have risen sharply, going from 169 in 2020 to 228 this year.

Bucks makes plans for most assessed kids; in 2023, they had a 100% rate. Other areas have lower rates, with Oxfordshire at 91.3%, Milton Keynes at 75%, and West Northamptonshire at 66%.

Bucks spends more on staff psychologists now, having increased the budget from about £1 million to about £1.4 million. A council leader said they’ll publish a new plan to address needs and support children.

The council wants less reliance on locums and to fix the psychologist shortage, which affects the whole nation. The council leader said they will help with minimal delay. She also stated that the demand is huge.

The rise in kids needing EHCPs is complex, and the pandemic exacerbated things. School closures and health issues might explain it. These issues add to the growing demand for support.

She knows the pressure hurts families and assures they will work hard for solutions. Their goal is long-term local solutions.