Education, Health and Care Plan Assessment Waiting Times and Appeals - Find a freedom of information request

The request is:

1.How many students aged 16 and over had an EHC plan assessment in 2018? a.What was the average wait time for that assessment?

2.How many students aged 16 and over had an EHC plan assessment in 2019? a.What was the average wait time for that assessment?

3.How many students aged 16 and over had an EHC plan assessment in 2020?

a.What was the average wait time for that assessment?

4.Currently, how many students aged 16 and over are on the waiting list for a EHC plan assessment?

a.How many of these students have been waiting past the 20 week timeline?

b.Please list the number of applications, and how many days past 20 weeks each has been waiting.

5.How many appeal cases against EHC plan decisions for students aged 16 and over were logged in 2018?

6.How many appeal cases against EHC plan decisions for students aged 16 and over were logged in 2019?

7.How many appeal cases against EHC plan decisions students aged 16 and over were logged in 2020?

On 30 April, the government announced a change in law which meant that local authorities and health commissioning bodies must use their 'reasonable endeavours' to secure or arrange provision.

8.From that date to today, how many students, aged 16 and over, have been placed in education that did not meet the provision specified on their EHC plan?

9.From that date to today, how many students, aged 16 and over, have had part of, or some of, their specified provision as set out in their EHC plan halted?

1. 18 a. There is no 'wait' time for an assessment to take place. The average time for the EHC assessment to be completed was 163 days.

2. 21

a. There is no 'wait' time for an assessment to take place. The average time for the EHC assessment to be completed was 125 days.

3. 25

a. there is no 'wait' time for an assessment to take place. The average time for the EHC assessment to be completed was 125 days.

4. 0; there is no 'waiting list' for an EHC needs assessment to take place.

a. 0; there is no 'waiting list' for an EHC needs assessment to take place.

b. 0; there is no 'waiting list' for an EHC needs assessment to take place.

5. 6 in total

6.3 In total

7. 7 in total

On 30 April, the government announced a change in law which meant that local authorities and health commissioning bodies must use their 'reasonable endeavours' to secure or arrange provision.

8. LCC have no indication that any young person was placed in provision that couldn't meet their needs other than the relaxation in legislation which meant that not everything was being delivered; no-one raised any concern on this with the Local Authority or within the Risk Assessment calls that the Local Authority completed with all families with an EHC plan.

9. It is reasonable to assume that during the relaxation of legislation many young people will have had part of their provision reduced, but discussions with parents and carers indicated that they were happy with this. The Local Authority does not have any specific data around this as the relaxation in the legislation applied to all children/young people with EHC plans and their settings.