Most coverage of SEND happens at a distance.
Announcements. Policy changes. Big national numbers.
But if you want to understand what’s really going on, you have to look somewhere else.
You have to look at councils.
Why this publication exists
I’ve spent the past few years reporting on local authorities.
Again and again, the same pattern comes up:The most important stories aren’t hidden, they’re just buried in plain sight.
SEND is a good example of that.
Behind every delayed EHCP, every appeal, every complaint, there’s usually a paper trail: reports, minutes, spreadsheets, decisions.
Those documents tell you what’s happening long before it becomes a headline — if you take the time to follow them.
This publication exists to do exactly that.
Not campaigning. Not commentary.
Just careful reporting, based on what’s actually in the public record.
Why councils are the place to look
Councils are where SEND either works — or doesn’t.
They’re responsible for:
- Assessing children for EHCPs
- Funding and commissioning provision
- Managing transport
- Balancing high needs budgets that are increasingly under pressure
All of that shows up in council papers.
You’ll see missed deadlines discussed in one report.
Budget pressure in another.
Inspection findings somewhere else.
On their own, they don’t always look like a story.
Put them together, and a much clearer picture starts to form.
That’s the level this publication is interested in.
What readers will get each week
This won’t be high volume.
Each week, I’ll publish a small number of stories that are worth your time — based on documents, data, and direct reporting.
That will include:
- What councils are actually saying
Key lines and decisions pulled from reports and meetings - Where the pressure points are
Delays, deficits, shortages, and where they’re building - Patterns across the country
When the same issue appears in multiple places - Follow-ups
Going back to check whether anything has changed
The aim isn’t to overwhelm you.
It’s to make the system easier to see.
If you work in SEND, you’ll recognise a lot of this.
If you don’t, you’ll still be able to follow it.
Either way, you’ll have a clearer view of what’s actually happening, not just what’s being announced.
If you’ve got something I should look at, get in touch.
I’ll follow it up properly.