Consider the fact that there are now more than 500,000 children and young people in England with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This spike speaks to the increasing public demand for these essential planning documents. By 2024, just 638,745 children will have EHCPs. This figure is already the highest aggregate since the program was created ten years ago. This increase marks nearly an 11% increase from last year. It raises serious concerns over the current state of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, showcasing a clear need for immediate reform.
Unfortunately, local authorities are failing to keep up with the tsunami of demand. Yet this year, just 46% of EHCPs were completed within the statutory 20-week timeframe. As a direct consequence, millions of parents and children are dealing with protracted periods of chaos. Sue’s daughter Matilda had to wait an agonising 72 weeks for her EHCP. This alarming trend shines a light on the fierce obstacles families face when looking to access the education their children need.
EHCPs act as a blueprint for what bespoke support these children with special educational needs should receive. They are vital to making sure these children receive the help they require. These plans often lead to schools providing one-on-one assistance, specialized equipment and individualized educational techniques. At the moment, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support nearly 1.3 million pupils—even without an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Unfortunately, these circumstances often undermine their educational experiences and outcomes.
Parents are too frequently left to be the ones to advocate, wrangling the emerging legal rights that EHCPs provide. “I now fully appreciate that parents [of children with SEND] are stuck in fight or flight mode. I’ve been fighting so long,” said Sue, illustrating the emotional toll this process takes on families.
The severe funding pressure on local councils has created a deadly thread in these seams. From accessibility to mental health, the National Audit Office has long warned of serious issues with the SEND system. It’s not financially sustainable and doesn’t yield superior results for kids. It comes as local authorities are under unprecedented strain from skyrocketing demand and dwindling resources. An agreement to cover £3 billion in SEND shortfalls has just been extended to 2028. The reality is that the majority of local councils are still experiencing huge funding pressures.
Recent federal government actions have been steps to fix these problems. We are providing a further £2.8 million per annum to improve SEND services. We have increased the number of caseworkers to expedite services for families in need. The government is expected to publish “wide-ranging reform” this autumn. These amendments will shape how EHCPs are drafted and produced.
Even with these improvements, we still have serious concerns about the effectiveness of the current system. Katie Gauche emphasized, “The reality parents and children face now is that an EHCP is the only way they can get an education.” It has been striking to me that the majority of requests for EHCPs are school-led. These schools rely on the plans’ provisions to meet children’s mental and social care needs.
Tim Oliver even called for massive reform. It should contain “a clear definition of support” for families to help them through the process and understand the complexities of the SEND system. He understood that record spending sometimes plays hide and seek from local authority books. At the same time, there’s overwhelming frustration with the way things are being delivered today.
Bridget Phillipson highlighted another pressing issue: “Too many children are not having their needs identified at an early enough stage.” This lack of timely assessment poses a long-term impact on students’ educational pathways.
Unfortunately, for families such as Sue’s, the process of reaching an EHCP is riddled with challenges and roadblocks. “For Matilda, it would have to be a complete rethink of how mainstream education works,” Sue explained. She further elaborated on Matilda’s specific challenges:
She wouldn’t cope with the class sizes. She has sensory issues out the wazoo, she can’t wear school uniform.
“Behavior policies in mainstream schools aren’t flexible enough for students who display complex and challenging distress behaviors.” Students like Matilda require the appropriate support to succeed academically. Without an EHCP detailing these essential mechanisms, there’s no assurance they will receive the assistance they need to succeed in their life journeys.
