Imagine a world where every child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) received the support they needed, when they needed it. Where parents didn’t have to fight tooth and nail for support. Where schools and local authorities were equipped to spot challenges early and act swiftly. That vision feels like a pipe dream for the 1 million children in the UK with lifelong speech and language challenges.
The recent report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) paints an alarming picture of just how far we are from making this vision a reality. The report reveals the financial crisis looming over the SEND system. Central government funding has increased by £4 billion over the past nine years – a 59 per cent increase – but it’s still not enough.
Local authorities are grappling with a staggering £3.3 billion deficit in their high needs budgets, and projections suggest this could increase to £8 billion in just three years. This gap in funding means that we are failing – and will continue to fail – millions of children if this does not change.
Too often, debates around SEND focus on the price tag. How much we’re spending. How much more needs to be spent. It feels like SEND funding is being seen as a bottomless money pit, rather than a vital investment in the future of our children and society. Without intervention, these children face higher risks of poor mental health, unemployment, and even involvement in the criminal justice system. These are incredibly costly challenges, not just socially, but for our economy too. Mental health challenges alone cost the UK economy at least £117 billion annually.
The costs of ignoring their needs are far greater than the price of solving the problem in the first place.When we invest in shifting the futures of children with speech and language challenges, we’re not just spending money – we’re saving it in the long run.
We complain about ‘pushy parents’ who manage to get close to what their children need – but actually those parents are fulfilling a vital role. They’re raising a flag as early as they can to say that their children need something different. And the sooner we provide it, the bigger the saving for us all.
Children with speech and language challenges form the biggest group with special educational needs (34 per cent). At Speech and Language UK, we know first-hand that early support for children with speech and language challenges can transform lives. We want more people to think about what we’re getting in return for our investment in this huge group of children. And what could we achieve if we approached this differently. We don’t have to, and shouldn’t have to, rely solely on traditional solutions to turn this around. Too many nurseries still think that if there’s a speech and language issue, they need to refer immediately to a specialist. But there are innovative approaches already making a difference that all early years settings could adopt, leaving the specialists for the children who really need them.
At Speech and Language UK, we offer various programmes designed to deliver targeted support at scale, including Tots Talking, a programme for parents to learn about how to boost their children’s development, Talk Boost, an evidence-based group intervention and Early Talk, a training programme that gives practitioners everything they need to know about speech and language development.
By training everyone who supports young children and providing an extra boost to children who are behind, we can make a huge difference to their outcomes and the Government’s aim of getting 75 per cent of children ‘school-ready’.
Just one example is Mandale Mill Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees (for pupils from 2-11), who took part in our Early Talk Boost programme. As a result, the percentage of children reaching the right level in understanding words and sentences doubled after the intervention.
To ensure every child in need can access such life changing support, we need the funding and political backing to ensure that they are widespread. If we keep focusing on what SEND support costs, we’ll never see the bigger picture. This isn’t just about money. It’s about building a society where every child can thrive. Where children can go on to contribute to society. Where parents don’t have to fight for basic support. Where the system works for everyone, not just those who have the resources to navigate it.
The IFS report is a wake-up call. If we don’t act now, the system will collapse under its own weight. We must rise to the challenge and rethink how we approach funding for SEND. Not as a burden, but as an opportunity to invest in our future. With the right reforms, we can create a system that’s sustainable, equitable, and above all, effective. That means more funding for early intervention, better provision in mainstream settings, and a willingness to embrace new ideas.
It’s time to move beyond discussions of how much we spend and start focusing on what we want to achieve. That is a future worth investing in.
- To access Speech and Language’s free Introduction to Speech, Language and Communication course, click here
