Bucks Council has announced it has secured an additional £3m to address its special education services.

The authority has labelled the current local and national SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) system as ‘unsustainable’.

Providing appropriate and effective education services to children with SEND has proved challenging for Bucks Council due to the surge in demand.

Data released by the council shows that there has been a 12% increase in Education, Health and Care Plan Assessments (EHCPAs) in 2025 alone.

The authority is launching a recovery plan to improve its special education services

placeholder image — The authority is launching a recovery plan to improve its special education services

By October 2025, the number of EHCPs being managed by the council’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) service had risen to 7,500, an increase of 58% since 2020. Recently, in one month alone, the Council received 121 new requests for EHCPs, a council spokesperson revealed.

A key reason some families have experienced significant delays in receiving ECHPs for children is what the council describes as a national shortage in education psychologists. The authority is required by law to seek advice and information from a qualified psychologist for every assessment.

Earlier this year, the council said it was facing a £44.3m special needs deficit, but a combined £21m has been allocated to the countywide system since that admission.

At the start of the month families in Buckinghamshire held a silent protest outside a council building in Aylesbury to raise awareness for families being ‘failed’ by the local and national SEND system.

Bucks Council says the new funding announced yesterday is linked to an action plan designed to reduce ECHP waiting lists.

-The authority has also released the key priorities of its ‘recovery plan’:

-Recruitment and retention of more educational psychologists and other professionals who are critical to the EHCP process.

-Streamlined assessment processes to ensure compliance with the 20-week statutory timeframe.

-Enhanced support for families during the assessment period, including improved communication and transparency.

-Monitoring and accountability measures to track progress and ensure timely delivery of plans.

Councillor Carl Jackson said: “The Government has recognised the current SEND system is unsustainable, so it is disappointing that promised reforms to the system have been delayed yet again. Buckinghamshire families are experiencing significant waiting times for EHCPs, and delays in accessing appropriate support. The Council’s new funding boost for this service will speed up the delivery of EHCPs, helping to ensure local children with additional needs receive the care and support they deserve.”

Bucks Council adds that the recovery plan is part of a wider ‘SEND improvement programme’. These changes to the SEND system need to approved by the authority’s cabinet at a meeting taking place tomorrow, which can be viewed online here.

Previously the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service has covered incidents where Bucks Council has had to pay families compensation for meeting the deadline established by the Government.

Local watchdogs have heard how ‘faults’ have been found with the council’s process and the delays have caused ‘confusion’ and ‘uncertainty’ within families waiting to discover how their child’s education will be delivered. EHCPs requests should be completed within 20 weeks of the application being made.