Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will help ensure that local authorities within Education Investment Areas ensure that Education, Health and Care plan assessments occur within the statutory deadline.

In Education Investment Areas (EIAs) the department is taking steps to support underperforming schools to make the necessary improvements, build trust capacity and improve digital connectivity. Ensuring the right support is available for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is important to the success of EIAs. The local authority must complete the whole Education, Health and Care plan process as soon as practicable, and in any event, within 20 weeks of the local authority receiving a request for an EHC needs assessment.

In addition, the department is strengthening accountability across the system. The department has a range of interventions that can be utilised to bring about rapid improvement. These include the use of Improvement Notices, Statutory Directions, and the appointment of SEND Commissioners. The department’s Ofsted and Care Quality Commission joint area SEND inspection activity commenced in January 2023.