West Northamptonshire ranks among England’s worst councils for issuing education plans to special needs children on time
West Northamptonshire ranks among England’s worst councils for issuing education plans to special needs children on time, latest data reveals.
Just 7.9 per cent of new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were issued within the legal 20-week limit in West Northamptonshire in 2025, placing the council 139th out of 147 councils in England.
The figure is well below the national average of 46.1 per cent, according to analysis of Department for Education figures published in June 2026.
The analysis also found that 283 plans in West Northamptonshire took more than a year to be issued.
An EHCP sets out the special educational needs of a child or young person and the support they should receive. The legal timescale for issuing a plan is 20 weeks, although some exceptions apply.
Jake Boase, founder of EHCP Badger, a website providing information, tools and letter templates to help parents understand the Education, Health and Care Plan process and challenge delays, said the council’s performance had fallen from 12.2 per cent in 2024.
He said: "While families wait, children can be left without the support they need at school, and parents tell us they feel they're constantly chasing. I know council SEND teams are under real pressure, and many staff are working hard. But the 20 week limit is the law, not a target, and families in West Northamptonshire deserve to see it met.
“If your child's plan is late, you don't have to just wait. You can complain to the council, and then to the Local Government Ombudsman if that doesn't resolve it."
West Northamptonshire Council said it recognised the impact delays could have on children and their families, but said its performance had improved during 2025 and continued to improve in 2026.
A council spokesperson said: "We recognise the challenges highlighted in these figures and understand the impact delays can have on children, young people and their families.
“Demand for EHCPs has continued to increase significantly both locally and nationally, placing pressure on services across the country. While these figures reflect an average position for 2025, they do not capture the significant progress made throughout our SEND improvement journey.
“During 2025, the percentage of EHCPs issued within the statutory 20-week timescale increased from 11.8% at the beginning of the year to 26.7% by the end of the year, and performance has continued to improve in 2026, with a year-to-date average of 48.7%. This positive improvement has also been recognised through external scrutiny of our wider SEND improvement journey.
“Over the past two years, we have strengthened capacity within our SEND service, improved assessment processes and enhanced partnership working with schools, health partners and families to help children and young people access the support they need more quickly. These improvements are helping us deliver a more effective and responsive service, and we are seeing encouraging progress. While we know there is more to do, we remain focused on building on this momentum by continuing to review our processes, remove barriers and improve the timeliness and quality of EHCP assessments. This remains a key priority for the Council and its partners as we work to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with SEND."
“Families whose child's plan is delayed can complain to the council. If the issue is not resolved, they may be able to take their complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.”