(UK) Lancs: (Update) 1,800+ students waiting for SPED assessments; 300 more waiting for plans

Aug 3, 2025, Blog Preston: Extent of SEND backlog at Lancashire County Council set out in new figures – Blog Preston

NW England

More than 1,800 Lancashire children are waiting to be assessed by the professionals who will help decide whether they need extra support because of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – while hundreds of others are yet to be given the additional assistance promised.

The figures – obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) – lay bare the scale of the backlog in the county’s SEND system, which was criticised in an Ofsted inspection report earlier this year.

A total of 1,850 young people who may have special needs are currently due to be the subject of an assessment by educational psychologists in the Lancashire County Council area, which excludes Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.

The advice they provide will be key to determining whether the youngster receives an education, health and care plan (EHCP).    The personalised document sets out what support a child – or young adult up to the age of 25 – is legally entitled to in order to ensure they can access a suitable place in education.

Meanwhile, there are a further 300 children for whom advice has already been received from an educational psychologist – but who are still waiting for their EHCP to be finalised.

A nationwide shortage of the specialist professionals – coupled with a surge in demand for the plans they help to draw up – has combined to contribute to what Ofsted described as “unacceptable” delays.

Lancashire County Council announced earlier this month that it had engaged three agencies to bring in the educational psychologists the authority needs. . . .

There were 12,200 live EHCPs in the county council area as of January this year – more than double the 5,200 a decade ago.