Rutland County Council Misses EHCP Targets
Rutland County Council is facing criticism after failing to meet targets for issuing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) within the statutory 20-week timescale. The council's latest performance report revealed that less than a fifth of EHCPs were delivered on time since January, a significant drop from last year's 65% rate.
EHCPs outline the support a child needs in education and provide additional funding to meet those needs. The decline in performance has been attributed to a shortage of staff, an increase in EHCP applications, and delays in assessments and consultations.
The number of children in Rutland with EHCPs has risen by 42% since 2019, with the majority attending mainstream schools. The council is now overspending on its high needs budget and has joined a government program to improve efficiency and reduce demand for EHCPs.
To address the delays, the council plans to name the type of school rather than the specific school on EHCPs, which has been causing delays in consultations. They have also secured additional educational psychologist resources to improve assessment turnaround times.
The growing need for EHCPs is a national trend, with figures showing a 26% increase in EHCP issuance nationwide last year. Now, nearly one in 19 children in education has an EHCP.
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