Parents and UNISON welcome Derbyshire council’s £1.3m boost for SEND staff

Concerned parents and union members have welcomed Derbyshire County Council’s decision to boost funding for its SEND teams.

The Reform UK-controlled council’s Cabinet approved the use of reserves at a meeting on December 4 to support its SEND improvement plan and to temporarily expand SEND staffing capacity in Derbyshire after parents and UNISON union members joined the Every Pair Tells a Story protest outside the council’s County Hall, in Matlock. 

Hayley Chapman, whose son is waiting for an assessment, said “This outcome is fantastic news. It shows that when families, supporters, and communities refuse to stay silent, real change becomes possible. This extra funding will hopefully ease the pressure on the SEND assessment team and help to tackle the current backlog. 

“On a personal level, the decision brings hope. My own son’s Education, Health and Care Plan is stuck in the system and, like so many families, we’ve been living with the uncertainty and frustration that brings.  

“I’m so proud to have been part of the Derbyshire team at the Every Pair Tells a Story event last month. I’d like to be seen simply as a parent who refuses to give up – someone who speaks out not just for my own child, but for every family waiting for the support their children deserve.”  

UNISON and SEND Sanctuary UK organised Every Pair Tells a Story demonstrations across the UK on November 3 and UNISON Derbyshire joined parents of SEND children to leave pairs of shoes, and messages outside County Hall in Matlock about what they feel are the failures in the SEND service and what that means to them.  

Derbyshire UNISON made several representations to the authority as concerns from parents of service users rose after Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission found ‘significant concerns’ in some areas of SEND provision in September, 2024. 

By September 2025, Derbyshire County Council appointed expert Gary Saul from Leeds City Council as interim head of SEND and following the success of the silent protest UNISON joined with parents and Labour, Green Party and independent politicians to form the group SEND Action Derbyshire. 

Following a successful meeting with UNISON, Mr Saul presented a plan for extra funding to increase the staff in SEND and the council’s Cabinet agreed to a £1.3m increase in spending, with the money to come from reserves, for the SEND assessment teams. 

This will allow the recruitment of 20 extra staff, stabilising SEND provision so further development can take place in 2026, according to UNISON. 

Branch Secretary of UNISON Derbyshire Martin Porter said “This is tremendous news. For a year we have been hearing from the Reform UK administration of Derbyshire County Council, and the previous Conservative administration, that the council is ‘overstaffed’. 

“We have been telling them that key front-line teams, like SEND, are in fact seriously understaffed, and we’re glad they now agree. This is a huge victory for the SEND parents who protested, and will be very welcome news for our hard-working members. This result shows people power works.” 

New staff will include: Four SEND officers to focus on the issuing of EHC Assessments and Plans; Two SEND officers to focus on the processing and completion of annual reviews of EHC Plans; Six Tribunal officers to focus on ensuring that appeals to the First Tier Tribunal are progressed and resolved as early as possible; Six staff members to focus on enhancing work with vulnerable learners; And two business support staff members to focus on the triage and respond to enquiries and complaints.  

Cabinet approved an investment of £1.3m to temporarily expand SEND staffing capacity in Derbyshire and the staff will be recruited for a period of six months.  

A council spokesman stated: “The council and its partners remain committed to delivering the priorities of the SEND Improvement Plan, and progress continues across the partnership.  

“However, urgent additional support is required to meet statutory duties and accelerate improvement with a specific focus on Education, Health and Care Assessments and Plans.”  

The council also stated that the funding will enable the recruitment of key staff to address staff shortages and reduce significant backlogs in assessments, reviews, and tribunals, which have grown in line with national demand.   

The Labour Government has also recently announced plans to improve early SEND support across the country with the roll-out of Best Start Family Hubs from 2028 in councils across England and Wales under a new £500m Best Start hubs programme for the most disadvantaged communities.