Almost 500 SEND children on a 20-week waiting list

HUNDREDS of children in Staffordshire are still waiting more than 20 weeks for a legal document detailing their special educational needs and the support they require, councillors have been told.

- By KERRY ASHDOWN

The county council has seen demand grow for support for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) over recent years - and the number of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in the county had risen to more than 8,000 last year.

If a child or young person needs an EHCP - because their special educational needs require more help than would normally be provided in a mainstream nursery, school or college - this document should be completed by the county council within a 20-week time-frame.

But almost 500 children who had been assessed were waiting longer than 20 weeks, members of the council's Safeguarding and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard.

Some families were also waiting several weeks for a decision on whether or not their children would be assessed for an ECHP in the first place, the meeting was told.

Dr Halit Hulusi, the council’s head of SEND, said: “On receipt of a request for an assessment from a school, professional or a parent, the LA (local authority) has six weeks to determine whether they're going to assess.

“Consistently now, we've been responding to parents within that six-week period whether we're going to assess or not over 92 per cent or 93 per cent of the time.