Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for Education, Health and Care Plan assessments in Essex on children’s access to appropriate educational support.

Many children wait too long for their education, health and care plans, and support often comes too late and only after escalation.

We are determined to make improvements, as set out in our recent consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform. An expert adviser from the department has been working with Essex County Council to support them with their reform plans.

The number of tribunal appeals recorded in Essex in 2024 was 679. Appeals to the SEND Tribunal and mediation under the Children and Families Act 2014 relate to specified local authority decisions, not delays. Where parents are unhappy about delays, they can take this up through local complaints procedures and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.