Increase in wait times for SEND support plans

A shortage of experts is contributing to delays securing support for young people with special educational needs.

The number of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans completed within the required deadline of 20 weeks has dropped significantly, Sheffield councillors have been told.

A report to the city council's finance committee said the city had higher levels of compliance than other major English city in 2023, but performance had "markedly" declined in 2024 and 2025.

The report said "sustained demand " for Education, Health and Care Needs assessments (EHCNA) had put significant pressure on services. A national shortage of educational psychologists is also creating a recruitment challenge.

An EHC plan is a plan that is put in place to support a child or young person with special educational needs, outlining how that provision will be fulfilled.

An EHCNA must take place before an EHC plan is assigned.

However, there has been "an unprecedented increase in parental requests" for Education Health and Care Needs assessments (EHCNA), with parents initiating 60% of them, the report stated.

Only 35% of plans were completed within the deadline during the second half of 2024.

The report stated its commitment to increasing the number of completed plans to 50% by May this year, outlining a number of measures.

Those measures include increasing the capacity for assessments, prioritising children with the most urgent needs, and providing more immediate support while they are waiting for the outcome of their formal assessment.

Locum educational psychologists have been brought in to assist with assessments and part-time staff are being offered overtime to encourage more them to commit to longer working hours.

The council is also working alongside other services to help ensure that fewer children require specialist provision as a result of earlier intervention.

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