The BBC has reported that thousands of children in England with special educational needs are waiting too long for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Asking 152 councils in England about the time it took to issue EHC plans over the last four academic years, 26,505 applications took longer than 20 weeks to finalise, including more than 6,000 last year alone. Legally, councils should normally finalise EHC plans, which set out a child's needs and the support to which they are entitled, within 20 weeks. In total, 52 councils have taken more than a year to finalise an EHC plan for at least one child.
With around four in 10 plans taking longer that what is expected, the analysis revealed that the longest wait for an individual application was in Suffolk, with the council taking 1,023 days, or nearly three years, to finalise one EHCP application.
The number of requests for EHC plans has soared in recent years, with 16,696 requests for a needs assessment received by 61 authorities in 2014-15, but that figure rose to 28,507 in 2017-18 - a 70 per cent increase. Of that, West Sussex County Council told the BBC it had seen a 44 per cent increase in the number of EHC plans it holds over the last four years.
It has been announced that the winning Town of Culture will receive £3.5 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
The government has announced a £55 billion R&D funding boost for science and tech breakthroughs that improve lives, create jobs and grow
The Welsh Government has announced an additional £55 million to the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme (TACP) to bring the total fo
The CEO of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) Fiona MacGregor will step down after more than ten years in the role.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published its annual statistics about the social housing sector.
Grantex is the UK’s leading supplier of specialist aggregates and producer of Premium Dried Sports Sand for High-Performance Synthetic Pitches.
Creating and maintaining an outstanding synthetic pitch starts with the right foundation. Grantex premium dried silica sand is engineered to deliver exceptional performance, durability and safety across a range of synthetic sports surfaces.
Join us for the landmark 10th Anniversary of the London Build Expo, the UK’s largest and most influential construction and design show.
Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Expo returns to Excel London across 12-13 November, once again bringing together the world of logistics, supply chain, eCommerce and retail innovation for two dynamic days of opportunity.
Every sport, from grassroots football to world-class tournaments, depends on one constant: high-quality playing surfaces and well-maintained green spaces.
Bauder marked a major milestone in its UK expansion with the official handover of a brand
At Words of World, we specialise in professional translation and interpreting, d
The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) and the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA) have successfully completed a groundbreaking project aimed at exploring the future of cleaning. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the cleaning industry, reflecting a shared commitment to embracing innovation with confidence.
The Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) new framework on Language Services (RM6302), dealing with translation, transcription and interpreting, is live, running from 7th May 2025 to 6th May 2028.
