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Written Question
Special Educational Needs: West Sussex
Friday 24th January 2025

Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the completion rates for EHCP applications within 20 weeks in West Sussex County Council.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

It is important that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that some local areas deliver more effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.

The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Five areas for improvement were identified in the inspection report, including an area specific to the timeliness and quality of EHC plans:

  1. To identify and address ‘waiting well’ arrangements and gaps in service provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
  2. To ensure children identified as at high risk for aspiration are fully assessed and have access to video-fluoroscopy.
  3. To develop a strategy to improve the processes, quality and the timeliness of EHC plans.
  4. To implement oversight and commissioning arrangements of suitable specialist school places and alternative provision.
  5. To strengthen their strategic approach to preparation for adulthood.

The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas for improvement and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. To assist the local area, the department has deployed a SEND advisor to offer support and advice. The advisor’s work has included monthly meetings with the local authority to review their statutory progress and to discuss their action plan, analysis of EHC plan data and trends, facilitation of best practice exchange with other local areas, and providing advice and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.