One in three EHCP requests refused in 2023 in Hertfordshire, data shows
An EHCP is a document that sets out the special educational, health and care needs of a child or young person.
Last updated 14th Mar 2024
ALMOST one in every three requests for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) were refused by Hertfordshire County Council last year (2023), latest data shows.
An EHCP is a document that sets out the special educational, health and care needs of a child or young person.
And crucially it is a legally binding document that sets out the extra help that child or young person will need to overcome barriers to learning.
Data released by the county council shows that in 2023 there were 2,857 requests made for an EHCP.
But it also shows that 902 of those requests – that’s almost one in every three – were refused.
According to the data – which has been published on the county council’s Freedom of Information disclosure log – the majority of requests were submitted jointly by a parent or carer and the education setting, accounting for 2211 applications.
There were, according to the data, 581 applications submitted solely by a parent or carer – and 26 by the young person.
The data shows that of the 2211 applications submitted jointly by the parent or carer and the education setting, 608 were refused. That’s equivalent to 27 per cent.
Of the 581 applications submitted solely by a parent or carer, 271 were refused. That’s equivalent to 46 per cent of applications.
In response to the data a spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that support is available for all children and young people with additional needs – regardless of whether they have an EHCP.
“Most children and young people with additional needs don’t require an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) to access the support they need, and refusing a request for an EHCP certainly doesn’t mean those families will be unsupported,” said the spokesperson.
“EHCPs are for children and young people with the most complex needs, but support is available for everyone with additional needs, whether they have an EHCP or not.”