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Education, Health and Care Plans
22 January 2025
Lead MP
Marie Goldman
Chelmsford
LD
Responding Minister
Catherine McKinnell
Tags
NHSEconomy
Word Count: 14565
Other Contributors: 36
At a Glance
Marie Goldman raised concerns about education, health and care plans in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP calls for immediate action and reforms to alleviate the current issues faced by children and parents in need of support through EHCPs. She advocates for more transparency, better communication, and faster implementation of reforms.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The debate focuses on the significant delays and shortcomings in the Education Health and Care Plan system. There are huge discrepancies across local authorities with regard to issuing EHCPs within statutory timelines; Essex county council issues EHCPs within 20 weeks only 0.9% of the time despite having over 3,000 requests. Additionally, there is a massive funding shortfall with local authorities reporting a deficit in high needs block funding amounting to £8 billion.
Mid Sussex
She addressed the impact of the current EHCP system on teachers, noting that it is unfair to expect them to cope with unmet needs while also managing a full classroom. She urged for urgent changes.
Alison Hume
Lab
Scarborough and Whitby
In Scarborough, more than 100 children are in elective home education due to lack of support, with one child's mother quitting work to homeschool them. She asks the Government to use a register proposed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Hitchin
Welcomed the £1 billion investment but highlighted that only 50% of EHCPs were delivered within statutory timeframes last year, calling for robust improvement plans and a focused workforce strategy.
St Ives
Acknowledged underfunding in rural areas and highlighted issues with expensive home-to-school transport due to budget constraints.
Andy MacNae
Lab
Rossendale and Darwen
Highlighted a postcode lottery in his constituency with 100% of EHCP cases being in Lancashire, underlining unacceptable disparities.
Anna Sabine
LD
Frome and East Somerset
Raised a specific issue about EHCP delays, citing a case where a child with multiple conditions missed 1,100 lessons due to local authority disputes.
Ben Maguire
LD
North Cornwall
Repurposed staff room in North Cornwall primary school for two SEND students without a place; new SEND school planned but with long wait list and funding issues.
Ely and East Cambridgeshire
A constituent’s child was poorly supported in school with only 11 hours of tuition after a long delay in EHCP assessment. Local authorities are overloaded, lacking clarity and transparency.
Clive Jones
LD
Wokingham
High costs impact Wokingham borough council’s budget; set to lose £1 million under draft local government settlement. Requests a meeting with the Minister for funding review and process improvement.
Danny Beales
Lab
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
He criticized the poor support for SEND in Hillingdon, highlighting a 40% drop in families getting EHCP determinations within the statutory limit since 2015. He also mentioned local funding cuts that will worsen the situation.
Al Pinkerton
LD
Surrey Heath
Discussed the failures of Surrey county council to deliver effective EHCPs, emphasizing the need for both timely and quality implementation.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
The Chair of the Education Committee reiterates that the current SEND system is in crisis, letting down children and their families. She welcomes measures brought forward by the Government but believes there is further to go, extending the deadline for written evidence submission to 6 February.
Epsom and Ewell
Surrey county council's timeliness in issuing EHCPs within 20 weeks has dropped from 57% to 16.2% over the past six years.
Imran Hussain
Ind
Bradford East
The MP raises concerns about the current system's inequality and inefficiency, suggesting that families suffer due to postcode-based disparities in services. He calls for a thorough review of the special educational needs and disabilities system.
Jack Abbott
Lab/Co-op
Ipswich
Calls for greater accountability and scrutiny of the ombudsman process, suggesting public hearings for all tribunal cases where around 95% find in favour of families.
Jessica Toale
Lab
Bournemouth West
In Bournemouth, 23% of children have special educational needs with many waiting over 20 weeks for an EHCP. Parents face resource shortages and lack of planning, impacting children's mental health.
John Milne
LD
Horsham
He highlighted significant disparities in EHCP provision between East Sussex and West Sussex, using an example of a family from his constituency struggling with post-16 SEND provisions at Crawley college.
Laura Trott
Con
Sevenoaks
The MP highlighted the postcode lottery in EHCP completion rates, with significant differences between local authorities. She called for a thorough analysis of these discrepancies and urged for an overhaul of the SEND system to address issues stemming from low expectations and inadequate implementation of changes. Trott acknowledged that while mainstream education benefits some, there should be options for special schools if preferred by parents. She raised questions about statutory override and expressed appreciation for engagement on these issues.
Laurence Turner
Lab
Birmingham Northfield
Ten years on from the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities struggle with delays and cost increases due to additional responsibilities without sufficient resources. Workforce issues exacerbate the SEND crisis. Turner addressed concerns about school trusts and the potential impact on special educational needs provision. He referenced CST's stance on pay negotiations and clarified it is not about setting a ceiling but establishing a floor.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
He shared a case where parents are moving house but one child with an EHCP faces significant challenges in securing appropriate schooling, highlighting disparities in treatment between children with and without EHCPs.
Liz Jarvis
LD
Eastleigh
She highlighted the difficulties parents face in securing EHCPs for their children, emphasizing that families should not have to fight a broken system and go through tribunals just to get necessary support.
Lizzi Collinge
Lab
Morecambe and Lunesdale
Called for stable long-term funding for local government and highlighted Labour's efforts in increasing education spending specifically earmarked for SEND.
Stratford-on-Avon
Stressed the importance of ensuring provision is local, well-resourced, and meets individual needs. Emphasised challenges in securing appropriate school places for children due to lack of funding. Highlights the issue of long waiting times for EHCP assessments and advocates for a robust accountability system for local authorities.
Mike Martin
LD
Tunbridge Wells
Reported on the severe delays in Kent county council’s EHCP processes, advocating for re-instituting special measures to address ongoing issues.
Esher and Walton
Surrey has 1,800 children missing education due to lack of provision and an average two-year wait for ADHD diagnosis. The county is at the bottom in timely EHCPs and near the top for tribunal cases.
Julie Minns
Lab
Carlisle
Discusses difficulties in securing suitable provisions for children with special needs under their EHCPs despite having them, emphasizing the need to support schools to meet these educational requirements.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
He discussed the challenges faced by Stockport due to low funding for school systems and highlighted that Stockport's funding per pupil is among the lowest nationally, with a 60.4% increase in EHCPs since 2019.
Olly Glover
LD
Didcot and Wantage
Describes the challenges of accessing mental health support teams and calls on the government to provide extra funding for local authorities.
Pam Cox
Lab
Colchester
Highlighted early intervention efforts by integrated care boards and suggested collaboration between Essex constituencies for improving outcomes for parents and children. Essex county council is one of the worst for delivering EHCPs. A roundtable in Colchester highlights issues, urging the Minister to pay attention and make changes.
Phil Brickell
Lab
Bolton West
He discussed the challenges faced by teachers, teaching assistants, parents, and school governors in his constituency regarding special educational needs and disabilities. He also mentioned that Bolton has seen a 20% increase in children diagnosed with SEND over the past seven years.
Tiverton and Minehead
Public Accounts Committee report highlights regional disparities in EHCP delivery; urges Government to urgently review infrastructure and systems.
Sarah Dyke
LD
Glastonbury and Somerton
The MP emphasizes the need to address funding inequalities across local authorities, highlighting Somerset council's low per-pupil funding compared to other regions. She stresses the urgency of providing better support for vulnerable pupils.
Sarah Green
LD
Chesham and Amersham
She pointed out that only 49% of children receive their EHCP within the statutory limit, leading to delays in diagnosis and suitable housing. She also noted that many schools find it difficult to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
North Norfolk
Norfolk county council seeks to be part of the solution for innovative SEND support solutions, proposing national best practice exemplification.
Slough
The MP discusses Slough’s below-average attainment outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities, urging for more funding and resources. He stresses the need to regain parents' trust by improving the efficiency of EHCP processes.
Vikki Slade
LD
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Current system creates conflict, stress for teachers and parents; investment in early diagnosis can save money and ensure better understanding of children's needs.
Government Response
Catherine McKinnell
The Minister for School Standards
Government Response
McKinnell confirmed the Government's commitment to reforming the SEND system, emphasizing urgent need for change. She detailed £1 billion investment and £740 million for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools. The minister highlighted ongoing work with families, schools, and councils to ensure inclusive education and expertise. The number of education health and care plans has increased year on year since their introduction in 2014. As of January last year, nearly 600,000 children and young people had an EHCP. The Government want to ensure that EHC needs assessments are progressed promptly and plans issued quickly... Children’s earliest years make the biggest difference to their life chances... We have introduced additional resources for early years educators to support children with SEND... To support the demand, we are working in partnership with NHS England and funding the early language and support for every child programme... The Government will also increase mainstream capacity by encouraging schools to set up their own SEND provision units...
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.