Rapid and swift action is being undertaken to improve services for children with special educational needs in Dorset, councillors heard.

It comes as the situation in the service reaches crisis point and significant funding is needed in order to get things back on track.

A damning report by Ofsted and the CQC earlier this year outlined ‘significant concerns’ in provision for children with special needs.

A written statement of action by Dorset County Council sets out how it intends to improve the situation. Although it has been accepted and praised by Ofsted and the CQC, the issues can not be resolved without substantial additional funding.

A report before the cabinet revealed the difference between expenditure and funding is £93,200 in the current financial year, £454,000 in 2018/19 and £377,800 in 2019/20 – a total of £925,000.

As reported in the Echo, the Children and Families Act 2014 changed SEN statements to Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs), extending local authorities’ responsibilities and raising expectations of parents, carers and schools. At the cabinet meeting, this was highlighted as a main contributing factor to the council's current critical situation.

Cabinet member for economic growth, education, learning and skills, Cllr Deborah Croney, said: “We continue to make rapid, and I repeat the word rapid, improvements.

“We have set up the SEND Delivery Group, to which I am chairman. The group will scrutinise the process and make sure we get on track and continue on track in the key areas outlined in the report.

"The situation has intensified in the last six to eight months.

“We knew when the Act changed that there was going to be a backlog happening, but what we didn’t anticipate was, and I don’t think it is unreasonable that we didn’t, is the 134 per cent increase in EHCPs.

“We anticipate 400 new EHCPs this year alone and we see that increasing year on year.

“It’s not just about making us get back on track, but that we secure the future too."

Cllr Ros Kayes, who is part of the new delivery group, raised her concerns.

She said: “How did we get to this stage in the first place and how did we monitor us getting to this stage? We should have noticed earlier that we were not up to scratch.”

Failure to issue EHCPs on time can lead to children and young people being without appropriate educational provision or without appropriate support to transfer to adult care placements.

Cllr Croney added: “There is great motivation and intense focus on this area of work.

"We are confident that we are able to meet the targets by March."

Cabinet members agreed to the £925,000 in contingency funds to turn the situation around.