The watchdog's annual survey of regional partnerships, which work toimprove the inclusion of special needs and looked-after children inschools, found that while spending grew by 15.8 per cent in 2005/06growth declined to 0.2 per cent in 2007/08.
Ann Baxter, chair of the healthcare and additional needs policycommittee at the Association of Directors of Children's Services, saidthe slowdown suggested the government's Removing Barriers to Achievementstrategy was working. The 2004 strategy aimed to make mainstreameducation better prepared for special needs pupils.
But Brian Lamb, chair of the Special Educational Consortium, said thefigures could also reflect cost cutting by councils reacting tocriticism that local authorities are not doing enough to ensure valuefor money in placements.
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