(UK) Essex: 100-Day Plan to speed up SPED plan assessments

July 10, 2026, Essex 100-Day Plan to improve support for SEND children | Gazette

Clearing the backlog of Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs) is a key part of Essex County Council's new 100-Day Plan.

Sam Journet, councillor responsible for education, SEND and skills at Essex County Council, said: "We are clear that the Essex SEND system must continue to improve quickly and we are prioritising action to make that happen.

"We have set a clear commitment in our 100-Day Plan to tackle delays, including clearing the backlog of assessments and speeding up access to support."

The council's renewed focus follows an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, which found that delays in assessments were contributing to inconsistent support.

Essex is now launching a series of open forums for parents and carers, expanding SEND support in mainstream schools, and working to improve the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Efforts also include strengthening joint working between education, health, and care services.

The work aligns with the Government’s national SEND reform programme, and the Essex Local Area SEND Partnership has recently submitted its SEND reform action plan to the Department for Education.

Mr Journet said listening to families is central to the improvement drive.

He said: "Meeting the Essex Family Forum was an important opportunity to hear directly from families and I will continue listening to parents and carers across the county.

"Their experiences will continue to shape our plans."

He also announced immediate plans to launch a new inclusion hub in Burnham.

Mr Journet said: "I am also pleased to announce I am taking immediate action to create a new inclusion hub in Burnham-on-Crouch.

"This will provide much needed inclusive support for children and young people with SEND living there.

"The governance process around this has begun with my full approval."

The inclusion hub will be the first hub in Essex following the publication of the Government’s SEND reforms and the council’s submission of its Local Area SEND reform plan.

Further opportunities for parents and carers to speak directly to Mr Journet will be shared in due course.