Plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in Solihull have taken a step forward as it has been revealed the government has given approval.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported the government is pushing forward with a proposal to reform the SEND system.

The major changes include replacing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) – which are designed to support children and young people with special educational needs – with new ISPs, layers of support and national inclusion standards.

The authority had been waiting for approval from the Department for Education for its three year plan addressing how it would deal with these changes.

The government had required the authority to produce its reform plan in just 14 weeks.

The approval means the authority is now eligible to receive a High Needs Stability Grant covering 90 per cent of its Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit accrued up to the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

Getting the plan approved was crucial as the government grant is desperately needed. Only last month Solihull councillors were told tough decisions are needed to be made to avoid the council going effectively bankrupt.

Making the announcement at the latest full council meeting council leader Cllr Karen Grinsell said: "I'm very pleased to announce our local SEND reform plan has been approved.

"We are now eligible to receive our grant which will cover the 90 per cent.

"The indicative amount at this time is almost £34 million of that we will receive in grants."

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported, councillors had raised concerns over how much Solihull parents had been involved in shaping the reform plan.

Cllr Samantha Gethen, Reform UK group leader on the authority, said at a meeting of the children's services and education scrutiny board: "I understand why it was done so quickly.

"It does say that all stakeholders have been involved but for me parents haven't been involved. That's a huge omission."

Jane Sowerby, the assistant director of education at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC), replied: "We involved Solihull Parent Carer Voice fully in all the workshops to represent parents.

"We will be doing lots of meetings with parents. We are in touch with other parent groups.

"We will continue to make those meetings a priority so parents can ask questions and understand what we are planning."