SEND provision in Cambridgeshire 'absolutely in crisis', warns MP
The county council is set to lay out its budget for the year
Last updated 10th Feb 2026
A Cambridgeshire MP believes the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in the county is "absolutely a crisis".
The county council has estimated a high-needs deficit of around £94 million as it lays out its budget for the year today (Tuesday).
But this is due to rise to £200m by April 2028, which the authority fears could put it in financial trouble.
While parents have previously told us SEND provision locally is at crisis point.
"It absolutely is a crisis," Ian Sollom, Lib Dem MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, said.
"When you are less than 10-years-old, a few months is actually a significant fraction of your life and if you're waiting a year, 18 months or two years for the support you need, it's heartbreaking to see."
Funding system 'broken'
Mr Sollom is backing the cross-party campaign group f40, which calls for fairer funding for education across England and better SEND provision.
Cambridgeshire County Council - which Mr Sollom said is one of the country's lowest-funded councils in SEND funding per pupil - is also supporting the group.
A Government White Paper looking at reforms to the SEND system is due to be published this year.
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, the county council's leader, said the way funding is allocated to schools in England "is fundamentally broken and Cambridgeshire’s children, young people and families are currently paying the price.
“We are joining with the other f40 authorities to call on Government to set out a clear, time-bound programme of reform which address long-term structural underfunding in our area."
Cllr Nethsingha has warned that by March 2028, the authority could fall into section 114, where councils effectively declare themselves bankrupt without Government intervention.
In a message to families most affected by the shortage of SEND places, Cllr Edna Murphy - chair of the county council's children and young people committee - said the council is "campaigning hard to make the system better."
Demand expected to outstrip funding
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it will engage with parents, teachers and local authorities to "fix the system.
"Including investing at least £3bn nationally to create 50,000 specialist places - as well as set out our full plans to reform the system through the Schools White Paper early this year."
The Government has announced it will pay off 90% of the debt that councils in England have built up in SEND funding.
As SEND support outstrips the amount of funding, Cambridgeshire County Council said local authorities in England are expected to build up a collective SEND deficit of £6 billion by April this year.
The council fears without reforms, this could pass £13bn in two years' time.
"It's (SEND funding) not been good enough for a long time," Mr Sollom added.
"If you support people in the right way, ultimately that has a benefit in the long-term and we've got to stop seeing this as a cost and see it as an investment in people.
"There are just some signs there are improvements; I don't want to say we've cracked this, but there are reasons for optimism."