Mum 'frustrated and tearful' at wait for EHCP

The mum of a seven-year-old boy with additional needs says she has been left "frustrated, tearful and full of anxiety" by delays in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) assessment process.

Sarah Luffman's son Alfie has been waiting nearly a year for his education, health and care plan (EHCP) to be finalised - a process which is meant to take 20 weeks.

They live in Somerset where the local authority is completing just 1% of EHCPs within the statutory deadline.

Somerset Council's Lib Dem executive committee is set to approve one-off funding of £5.3m to tackle its EHCP backlog. Lead member for SEND councillor Evie Potts-Jones said they were "determined to improve".

Families of children who need more support than mainstream schools usually provide can apply for an EHCP, which are designed to guarantee extra help for those who need it.

Luffman said Alfie is a "really bright, happy little boy" but has "significant issues with attention".

"He doesn't tend to sit or stay on task for very long."

She said his "fantastic" school has been giving him extra help but it has said he needs 1:1 support for the majority of the day.

After having to appeal the council's original decision not to assess Alfie, Luffman said the council agreed to assess him at the end of July last year.

A draft plan was issued in March but his case officer then went on maternity leave and he has not been assigned a new officer.

"We're left in limbo - the school don't know what's happening," she said.

Alfie is one of 759 children in Somerset who have been left waiting more than 20 weeks for their EHCP to be completed.

In the six months to the end of March, Somerset Council completed just 1% of EHCPs within the legal 20-week deadline. The average is 51 weeks.

Nationally, the number of plans issued within the statutory time frame of 20 weeks has decreased slightly over the last two years, with less than half of plans issued on time.

The government has published plans to reform SEND services in England over the coming years. By 2035, only children with the most complex needs will qualify for EHCPs.

Potts-Jones added: "We know too many children, young people and families have been waiting too long for their education. That is not good enough, and we are determined to improve."

The authority has 11 vacancies for educational psychologists, who carry out the initial assessments.

Coupled with the staff shortage, the council says it has seen a big increase in requests for EHCP assessments in the last two years.

Its executive committee is set to approve using £5.3m from its reserves to improve SEND services over the next two years, including £3.1m to clear the EHCP backlog and improve timeliness.

"This proposed investment is about putting extra capacity where it is needed most, so that we can reduce delays, improve timeliness and give families clearer answers sooner," said Potts-Jones.

Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, leader of the Conservative opposition on Somerset Council, said: "This report is a sobering read, but it is also refreshingly honest about the scale of the challenge facing Somerset's SEND services.

"The Conservative Group will support measures that improve outcomes for children and families, but serious questions remain about how the service was allowed to deteriorate to this extent."

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