Mass Staff Departures Cripple Send Services in East London Borough
Barking and Dagenham Council is grappling with a severe staffing crisis in its special educational needs and disabilities (Send) department, where one-third of the team resigned during the summer of 2025. This exodus has created a substantial backlog in assessments for vulnerable children, significantly impacting the delivery of essential support services across the borough.
Assessment Numbers Plummet as Team Shrinks
The departure of four staff members from a team of twelve has directly resulted in a dramatic decline in completed education, health and care plans (EHCPs). These crucial documents outline the specific support that children with special educational needs must receive from local authorities. Official figures presented to councillors reveal that while 646 children were referred for EHCP assessments in 2025 – a notable increase from 526 in 2022 – only 313 plans were actually issued, compared to 502 the previous year.
The presentation to the overview and scrutiny committee explicitly linked this decline to the staffing crisis, stating that the 33 percent team turnover "led to a 'backlog' in decisions in the autumn term of 156 cases, whilst managing 245 new requests during the same period." This perfect storm of increased demand and reduced capacity has created significant challenges for families awaiting vital support.
Performance Metrics Show Alarming Decline
The staffing crisis has severely impacted the council's ability to meet statutory deadlines for processing EHCP applications. Only 21.2 percent of plans were issued within the required 20-week timeframe in the most recent reporting period, down from 27.7 percent the previous year. Denise Watts, the council's head of Send, acknowledged this concerning performance gap, stating: "It's not where we want to be – the national average in terms of what's being reported is around 45 percent. We're working hard to get there."
Jane Hargreaves, the council's commissioning director for education, described the working environment for remaining staff as "an incredibly high-pressured environment" during her presentation to councillors. She emphasized that the staffing shortage reflects broader challenges facing London councils, noting that recruitment and retention difficulties for education, health and care team posts have become commonplace across the capital.
Systemic Pressures Compound Staffing Challenges
The staffing crisis has emerged against a backdrop of increasing systemic pressures on Send services nationwide. Hargreaves identified multiple contributing factors, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted two years of education for many children, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. She noted that the council "started to struggle" with demand in 2022 and has "never really caught up to be honest."
Additional pressures include what Hargreaves described as a "stagnation" in school budgets since 2015 and the gradual erosion of support services for children and parents. This has created a situation where schools and families increasingly rely on the EHCP system as their primary means of accessing essential support. Hargreaves explained: "The EHCP has become progressively more important as a way of surviving really. That's particularly hit our primary schools." She added that an increasing number of primary schools in the borough are now operating in deficit.
Council Response and London-Wide Context
A council spokesperson acknowledged that many London authorities face similar Send staffing challenges, stating: "This is not an unusual situation, councils across London are experiencing recruitment and retention challenges for education, health and care team posts – for a number of reasons." The council has implemented temporary measures to address the crisis, including employing agency staff to cover vacancies while recruiting for permanent positions.
The council has established a dedicated team focused specifically on completing assessments and clearing the existing backlog. This targeted approach aims to address the immediate crisis while longer-term recruitment solutions are developed. However, the spokesperson's acknowledgment that this represents a London-wide issue suggests systemic problems that extend beyond individual borough management.
The situation in Barking and Dagenham reflects broader national challenges as councils across England struggle to cope with rising demand for EHCPs and increasing costs associated with providing Send services. The combination of staffing shortages, budgetary constraints, and growing need has created what many experts describe as a perfect storm for special educational needs provision nationwide.
