Watkins Solicitors Leads Judicial Review Challenge Against Bristol City Council's Safety Valve Agreement

Watkins Solicitors is representing parents in a critical judicial review challenge against Bristol City Council over the controversial Safety Valve agreement, which raises concerns about cuts to Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. The challenge, led by a dedicated team of solicitors at the firm, seeks to address the council's decision to enter into the agreement without consulting parents of children with SEN—a move that could have significant implications for SEN services across Bristol.

Watkins Solicitors has successfully represented numerous families in complex SEN cases, from securing appropriate school placements to challenging local authority decisions on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

The Safety Valve agreement is a government initiative intended to help councils reduce deficits in their schools’ budgets. In exchange for £53 million in funding, Bristol City Council agreed to implement cost-saving reforms, raising concerns about the potential impact on SEN services. The case brought by Watkins Solicitors centres on the council’s failure to consult parents before entering into the agreement, despite the risk of significant changes to the provision of SEN support.

Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, commented on the challenge:
"This was not an easy challenge because it’s difficult to predict exactly how each child will be affected at this stage, as the full impact of the Safety Valve agreement has not yet materialised. However, parents are already facing local authorities that battle them at every step, spending large amounts of public money on appeals when it could be better used to support children with SEN."

For many years, Watkins Solicitors has been helping parents navigate the complicated process of securing the right support for their children with SEN, including legal battles over diagnoses, statutory assessments, and securing EHCPs. These cases often expose systemic delays and barriers within the education system, leaving children without the appropriate support for long periods of time.

"Local authorities often refuse initial assessments or delay critical interventions, which can lead to long and stressful appeals. In some cases, it can take up to two years to get a proper EHCP in place. This results in significant disruption for children with SEN, many of whom are left struggling in unsuitable school environments or without education during that time," added Beverley.

With Bristol’s special schools already at capacity and mainstream schools often unable to meet the complex needs of SEN children, the outcome of this case could have wide-reaching consequences for the city’s SEN services. The High Court will hear the judicial review in December, a decision that could set a precedent for how councils approach the provision of SEN services in the future.

Watkins Solicitors remains committed to ensuring that all children with SEN receive the support they are entitled to under the law and that parents have a voice in decisions that affect their children’s education.