Barnet Council delivered 100% of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) within a 20 week limit

School children pu their hands up — Photo: RADAR

An investigation by the BBC has found Barnet Council is one of a just a few local authorities to deliver 100% of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) within the legal time limit of 20 weeks. The average delivery rate across England was 49.2%.

An EHCP specifies the special educational provision a child or young person requires so they can access education. This could include specific interventions to support with literacy or numeracy for example or wider interventions to support their mental health needs.

Issuing EHC plans on time supports settings, schools and colleges to be clear about the special educational provision a child or young person needs. Over the course of 2023 826 EHC plans were issued on time for children and young people with SEND making sure they got access to the right support at the right time.

Cllr Coakley Webb, Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet, said: “We are immensely proud of our team’s dedication to delivering timely support for children with special educational needs.

“Ensuring every child has their needs assessed in a timely way is a top priority for us in Barnet. This 100% on-time delivery rate is a testament to our commitment and the hard work of everyone involved.”

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