We know how important timely support is for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). That’s why improving the speed and efficiency of Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessments is a top priority for Devon County Council.
Right now, around 1,400 children are going through the statutory assessment process in Devon, which is significantly more than in many similar local authorities. We recognise this can cause delays, and we are taking steps to change that and make the process quicker and smoother, without compromising on quality or fairness.
Focussed teams
We’ve made some changes to how our SEND Operations Service is organised. The Assessment team has been split into two focused groups:
- New Assessments Team – This team will handle all new EHCP assessment requests. They’ll work closely with schools, health professionals, and other partners to:
- speed up how quickly decisions are made
- build better ways of working with schools and professionals to share and develop best practices
- strengthen the quality of decision-making
- Out of Statutory Timescale Team – This team will focus on children whose assessments are already underway but have gone beyond the expected timeframes. They’ll work carefully and systematically to move these cases forward.
Faster decisions to assess
We’re also trialling a new approach to speed up the initial decision about whether to carry out an EHCP assessment. The new timescales will be:
- For practitioner requests (e.g. from a school or health service): decisions will be made within 2 weeks
- For parental requests: decisions will be made within 4 weeks (to give us time to collect any extra information from schools or other services that might help us decide whether an assessment is needed)
This is a big step forward from the current 6-week decision period, and it’s designed to get children the support they need more quickly.
Educational Psychology
Our educational psychology team will be completing more assessments by pausing some aspects of their work. They are focusing in improving the speed that their advice is provided, and they have refreshed their reports to ensure they are clear and accessible.
Working together
These changes won’t solve everything overnight, but they are a start, and to make sure there’s a real improvement, we need everyone involved in the process to play their part.
We’re asking our partners, including schools, health services, and other agencies, to help by:
- ensuring their requests for assessment are high-quality, evidence-based, clear, complete, and meet the legal criteria
- responding promptly to consultation requests
- always thinking about how we can help every child feel they belong, and asking “What would it take to meet this child’s needs?”
Looking ahead
We know that navigating the EHCP process can be challenging for families, but by working together, we believe we can make the process smoother, fairer, and more responsive to the needs of children and young people in Devon.