Regret over delays with special needs

EAST Riding Council’s Children and Young People portfolio holder said she regrets delays that left paperwork for 570 special needs plans “lagging behind”, but defended the ruling Conservatives’ improvement efforts.

Councillor Julie Abraham said East Riding Council had taken on two extra staff members to clear the backlog, adding officers were currently handling three complaints over the delays.

She told councillors at a meeting on Wednesday, October 7, local authorities across the country had seen similar delays, adding the system for SEND children was becoming “overburdened”.

The Conservative councillor’s comments were in response to Liberal Democrat Cllr Linda Johnson, who said parents and carers had told her of their anger at being “let down” by SEND teams.

Cllr Johnson tabled a motion calling for an apology, but the portfolio holder’s amended version which called for discussions on the issue to be moved to committee passed instead.

Educational, Health and Care (EHC) plans as they are officially known are drawn up by local authorities and partner bodies to identify what support young SEND people need until they reach 25. Councils are legally required to review them every year.

Cllr Abraham said: “The current data on SEND services and on EHC Plans in particular, is that we are currently maintaining 2,476 plans and we have had 312 requests for new assessments this calendar year.

“We are confident that outcomes for our children and young people who are on a plan are good and that they achieve well.

“But I do acknowledge and regret that the system has not gone smoothly for all and that there have been concerns in the past both with timeliness and communication.”