Somerset Council trials AI to speed up special educational needs reports

Somerset Council is venturing into artificial intelligence territory to address a critical educational challenge: lengthy waiting times for special educational needs reports. This initiative follows similar approaches by other English authorities, aiming to streamline administrative tasks in creating education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for vulnerable children. The trial represents a balancing act between leveraging technology for efficiency and maintaining appropriate care when handling sensitive information about children with special needs.

The big picture: Somerset Council has begun trialing AI to draft special educational needs reports, potentially reducing wait times for vulnerable children while allowing staff to focus on more meaningful interactions.

Key details: The AI tool will specifically help write first drafts of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with special needs.

• The council emphasized this initiative is still in “very early stages” and will only be used for basic reports.
• Officials stressed that human staff will continue making all final decisions in the process.

What they’re saying: Councillor Heather Shearer, Liberal Democrat lead for children, families and education, emphasized a cautious approach to implementing the technology.

• “We will be using this with consideration and care. We need to ensure our work is always excellent quality and done in a timely manner, so we can spend more time helping parents and children,” Shearer stated.
• Ruth Hobbs, chief executive of Somerset Parent Carer Forum, noted: “There’s benefits but also concerns with dealing with data with vulnerable children. A lot of a case workers’ time is writing reports, so if it means spending more time face-to-face with children and parents then that has to be a good thing.”

Behind the numbers: The trial aims to address a significant administrative burden that currently diverts caseworkers’ time away from direct engagement with children and families.

Why this matters: Special educational needs reports are critical documents that determine support resources for vulnerable children, but their preparation often involves substantial paperwork that delays the delivery of necessary services.

Next steps: Somerset Council indicated it is actively seeking feedback from people involved in the AI trial to evaluate its effectiveness and address any concerns.