What has been done to improve SEND services in county afte

Extra capacity has been created to help clear the backlog in the system for determining the support that should be provided to Lancashire children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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Lancashire County Council says it has brought in agency backup and recruited extra staff of its own to speed up the issuing of education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

Delays in processing the personalised documents-which set out what must be done to help special needs pupils access education-were highlighted in a damning Ofsted report published in February into SEND services in the county council area.

It found that there were significant holdups in the EHCP application process, especially in relation to the annual reviews that should be carried out to ensure the plans are still sufficient in each child's case-some of which were years overdue.

In response to the broader “systemic” failings identified by Ofsted, Lancashire County Council and the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board drew up an action plan.