Stop SEND services profiteering - Helen

Helen Morgan MP has joined calls for new legal protections to prevent private equity firms and offshore investors from profiting from Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.

The Liberal Democrat proposals have been backed by Helen Morgan, and have been launched as the Government set out a raft of SEND reforms in a White Paper this week.

The proposals would see SEND services officially designated as Critical National Infrastructure, a status currently reserved for essential services like water and energy.

The plans would give the Government power to block acquisitions of local services by private providers that prioritise profit over the welfare of vulnerable children.

Helen said she had received and dealt with dozens of casework enquiries on the issue of SEND provision, regularly having to step in to support families across the constituency.

She added: “Private equity funds have, for years, shamelessly exploited a loophole in the system, funnelling money overseas into shareholders' pockets and away from vital frontline care.

“By designating SEND as critical infrastructure, we can ensure that public money stays where it is needed - supporting our most vulnerable children rather than lining the pockets of sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi or private firms in Europe.”

The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, unveiled the reforms on Monday as part of a £4 billion investment, which she said would allow access to earlier support for children in the system in England, making it more inclusive.

In Shropshire, the rising cost of SEND provision has come under increasing pressure, in the context of a dire financial picture at Shropshire Council. Nationwide, local authority spending on private SEND provision has soared, with some areas seeing a tenfold increase since 2015, with council deficits for SEND projected to reach £6.6 billion this year.

Helen added: “It is appalling that while parents in Shropshire are fighting tooth and nail for the support their children deserve, offshore investors are raking in millions in profit from our local council.”