The Isle of Wight Council has come under fire for not producing support plans, which are used for students with special educational needs, quickly enough — and in some cases, not assessing pupils at all.
The authority, however, said it is focusing ‘significant attention’ on getting Education Health Care (EHC) plans created as soon as possible, and that parents should have confidence in the level of support currently being offered in schools.
Figures from the council revealed only 62 per cent of education, health and care (EHC) plans were produced within the 20-week timeframe it should take to go through the process.
While it is still above the national average (which is roughly 60 per cent), the time it took to produce one was a source of ‘great frustration’ to parents and children applying for an EHC plan, said the council’s assistant education and inclusion director, Natalie Smith.
Ms Smith told an education scrutiny committee last week, it was not a figure to be celebrated as it indicates the scale of the issue with EHC plans.
EHC plans are for children and young people who need more support than is available at schools or education facilities and set out what is required to meet those needs.
Ms Smith said the council is trying to improve the quality of plans as well.
Chair of the education committee, Cllr Richard Quigley highlighted figures which said the Isle of Wight Council was the biggest local authority to refuse to assess whether an EHC plan was necessary.
He said, of 253 applications, 114 children were refused to be assessed.
Ms Smith said it was not a bad thing as it means the plans weren’t being agreed inappropriately and the Island was different to other local authorities in that more parents apply for an EHC plan than school staff.
“A number of parents want their child to have an EHC plan but they don’t meet the threshold and in those cases, it is right there is a no to assess,” she said.
“What we need to do is continue to increase parental confidence in schools being able to meet the needs of their children without an EHC plan, then we won’t get so many applications from parents of children that are nowhere near the threshold.”
Cllr Quigley said he hoped the council would not top the tables next year.
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