Liberal Democrats Target Offshore Profiteering in SEND Services

Liberal Democrats Call to Designate SEND Services as “Critical Infrastructure” to stop offshore profiteering

Bristol Liberal Democrats have joined calls for new legal protections to prevent private equity firms and offshore investors from treating Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as a “cash cow.”

The proposal has been launched as the government deliver their SEND White Paper this week. The plan would see SEND services officially designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). This status – currently reserved for essential services like water and energy – would give the government power to block acquisitions that prioritise profit over the welfare of vulnerable children.

In Bristol, the cost of SEND provision has come under increasing pressure. Nationwide, local authority spending on private SEND provision has soared, with some areas seeing a tenfold increase since 2015.

As of August 2025, the Council’s Designated Schools Grant (DSG) – a ringfenced account for education – stood at £63 million, with the high cost of private SEND provision cited as a major contributor.

Bristol’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have previously called for private SEND providers to have a cap placed on their profits, after House of Commons Library research revealed that some firms made profits margins of over 20%.

Cllr Andrew Varney (Liberal Democrat, Brislington West), member of the Council’s Children and Young People Policy Committee, commented: 

“It is appalling that while parents in Bristol are fighting tooth and nail for the support their children deserve, offshore investors are raking in millions in profit from our local council.

“Private equity funds have, for years, shamelessly exploited a loophole in the system, funnelling money overseas into shareholders’ pockets and away from vital frontline care.

“By designating SEND as critical infrastructure, we can ensure that public money stays where it is needed – supporting our most vulnerable children rather than lining the pockets of sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi or private firms in Europe.”

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