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Councils have been told they must ensure the new “experts at hand” support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is not “disproportionately accessed” by the most proactive schools.

The Department for Education is tasking local authorities with developing an offer of experts for schools to call upon as part of its SEND reforms, but sector leaders are concerned about the lack of an evidence base for how this should be delivered.

The government has said today that this funding should be used by councils to deliver a new offer to ensure pupils can get support without having to fight for an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

The experts at hand service, announced earlier this year, aims to provide schools with a new route to external support from specialist education and health professionals.

This includes educational psychologists, specialist teachers, outreach from special schools and alternative provision settings, and extra speech and language and occupational therapy capacity.

The DfE has how it will distribute £429 million to local authorities in 2026-27, the first year of a three-year package worth £1.8 billion.

How inclusion support will be distributed

Guidance published today says that local authorities will hold the funding and decide how the support is organised locally.

It says that councils must put forward “a proposed approach to settings accessing support which ensures support is not disproportionately accessed by the most proactive schools”.

Sector leaders have raised concerns about the lack of evidence underpinning the plans.

Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, said: “The experts at hand programme is a significant and welcome investment in capacity for extra support, but we are concerned that local authorities are being asked to set up new provision without a clear evidence base.

“This risks public money being wasted, rather than contributing to the new, positive, needs-led approach that the White Paper promises.”

The DfE said today that local authorities will define the “exact offer and distribution of resources” according to local circumstances, but that this will be in line with “national expectations which will be set out in forthcoming guidance”.

Investments must benefit all children

The guidance says councils should ensure the investment benefits all children and young people aged 0 to 25, and councils should consider how support will be available across early years, primary, secondary and further education settings.

Councils will be required to work collaboratively with local NHS boards, schools forums and representatives of early education providers and further education providers to create the plans.

For schools, this means the support they will be able to access will depend on how councils choose to deploy the resources and how quickly they can recruit and commission specialists.

At least 80 per cent of the funding must be spent on the direct delivery of the support. Councils have been told that no more than 10 per cent of funding can be spent on admin costs for delivering the offer, and no more than 10 per cent can be spent on “local authority transformation costs”.

The funding cannot be used for support already named in pupils’ EHCPs, for EHCP assessments or for provision that schools “can or should make themselves”, the DfE guidance states.

This means the money is expected to provide additional expert input that helps mainstream settings become more inclusive and better able to support children with SEND earlier.

The DfE previously said that, by April 2029, the average primary school will benefit from 40 days of help annually, and secondary schools will benefit from 160 days under the programme.

It also says the grant for 2026-27 will be paid to councils in a single instalment at the end of June.

Councils are also expected to develop and submit their local SEND reform plans, which will include a local experts at hand offer, by the end of June.

The DfE has been contacted for comment.