Fewer than one in five EHCPs completed on time in West Sussex
Council plans changes to tackle rising demand
Fewer than one in five Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs) for children with special needs are being completed on time in West Sussex, according to a county council scrutiny committee meeting held on 26th November.
The proportion of EHCPs finalised within the required 20 weeks currently stands at 19.2 per cent, which officials say is an improvement compared to earlier figures this year.
Clare Hayes, assistant director for education and skills, acknowledged the council was ‘still lagging’ but confirmed that measures were in place to address the issues.
Staffing changes and expert advice
An expert consultant has been brought in to work until March with the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team, while a second head of SEND will join in January. Additionally, two service managers and six further team members are expected to begin soon.
The council is aiming to lower the average waiting time for EHCPs to 34 weeks, although Hayes admitted that achieving the target remains challenging given current resources. She said:
“We’ve reduced them from 49 to 39 weeks, trying to work towards 34 weeks. Unless there’s a change to the legislation – or Santa brings me a tonne of new staff, which is unrealistic financially – then I don’t think we will achieve the target as it stands at the moment.”
Increasing demand on services
The council has seen a significant rise in demand for EHCPs. On 1st November, 10,715 children in the county had a plan, compared to 5,297 in January 2019.
There are currently 1,312 children going through an EHCP needs assessment, with requests for assessments having been made for another 168. In the past year, 256 assessments were completed within the required timeframe.
The growing demand has caused delays and frustration among parents, some of whom have pursued complaints about missed deadlines. Since June, West Sussex County Council has paid more than £30,000 to families whose complaints were upheld by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman.
Awaiting government reforms
Delays to promised government reforms of the Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) system are further complicating matters. A long-awaited White Paper, originally expected last autumn, is now due early in the new year.
Daniel Ruaux, director of children, young people & learning, warned that the forthcoming White Paper could lead to a higher number of referrals for EHCPs, adding pressure on an already stretched system.
He said the council was still unsure of the content of the reform package or how it would impact service delivery.