Just one in ten special needs assessments issued on time across West Northamptonshire, figures reveal

From January to August this year, 13 percent of education health and care plans (EHCPs) were issued within the 20-week deadline - however this is still double that of the six percent average reported in 2023.

WNC’s new director of children’s services Melanie Barnett told councillors at a meeting on Tuesday (September 24): “You will all know there’s a challenge nationally in relation to SEND. Although we will aspire to have 100 percent of EHCP assessment plans issued within 20 weeks, the national average - and that’s not saying we’re aspiring to the national average - is 53 percent.

“We’ve got around 6,000 plans. All of those children need to be reviewed every year and that’s an awful lot of information to be reviewed. We’re also talking about the quality of plans going forward and making sure they are reflecting the changing needs of children.

“I think we will see an increase in the 20-week timescale once we’ve dealt with the challenges we’ve got around education psychology. We are starting to see some glimmers of hope but I think it’s fair to say it’s going to go up and down.”

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in West Northants are currently undergoing an action plan of improvements, in response to a scathing report Ofsted and CQC published earlier this year.

Key areas for ‘urgent’ action include addressing the length of time families wait for EHC assessments, making sure plans are accurate when issued and improving the services for speech, communication and language needs.

Ms Barnett said that progress had been made through additional investments and capacity in the educational psychology team, with 25 new workers starting in the SEND team this month.

She also told the committee that one of the biggest issues in the council’s service was ‘poor communication’ and said it was one of the key areas she had picked up and is looking to improve.

Progress reports on the action plan will be brought to the council’s children, education and housing scrutiny committee to update members on improvements.