(UK) Cornwall: Only 1.6 percent of SPED plans issued on time

June 18, 2024, Cornwall Live: Cornwall is second worst county for issuing special education EHCP care plans on time 

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwall-second-worst-county-issuing-9350217?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target 

SW England

Cornwall Council is the joint second worst local authority in the country for issuing care plans for children with special educational needs within the necessary time frame.

The Department for Education (DfE) published its annual statistical summary of Education,

Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in England last week which shows that Cornwall Council only had a 1.6 per cent success rate for meeting the 20-week EHCP deadline compared to the national average of 50.3 per cent in 2023. The council says that figure has now improved.

Most children and young people’s special educational needs can be met within educational settings with specialist SEN support. However, a few children and young people with complex needs will require the support of an EHCP.

The Government's official statistics published this month show almost 600,000 children and young people now have an EHCP in England. The care plans mean councils have a legal duty to meet the child or young person's needs. Last year saw a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of new plans issued across England.

Cornwall Council has stated that it receives in excess of 100 EHCP needs assessment requests every month. The growing cost of children's care, along with school transport and emergency housing, has the biggest financial impact on the cash-strapped council's budget. The council has seen a £10m [$12.6M] increase in demand in children’s social care services in 2024/25.

The DfE figures show a huge drop in the rate of EHCPs being issued to children on time in Cornwall in the last four years. Data shows that in 2020 94.5 per cent were issued within the 20-week deadline, compared to 1.6 per cent last year. The figure has dramatically decreased year on year, while the number of children assessed for the care plan has risen from 401 in 2020 to 549 last year.

Essex is the worst performing in a table of the local authorities least likely to meet the 20-week deadline with 0.9 per cent, with Cornwall and Portsmouth both on 1.6 per cent, followed by County Durham, West Sussex, Southend-on-Sea and Suffolk, with Devon at 4.6 per cent.