More Barnet children with special needs need extra support

611 children and young people aged up to 25 received an EHC plan from Barnet Council in 2023, reports Marieta Marinova, Data Reporter

More children in Barnet with special needs were assessed as needing extra support last year, new figures show.

In England, the number of new education, health and care (EHC) plans increased by more than a quarter, but almost half of children and young people who received one had long waits before getting it.

The Association of School and College Leaders said the failure to match rising demand with adequate government investment had brought the Special Educational Needs (Send) system “to the brink of collapse”.

An EHC plan is for children and young people who need more support than is available through conventional special educational needs support. EHC plans identify these needs and set out the additional support needed to meet them.

Figures from the Department for Education show that 611 children and young people aged up to 25 received an EHC plan from Barnet Council in 2023. This was up on the 431 plans issued the previous year.

Nationally, 84,428 new EHC plans were started last year, up 27% on 2022. However, figures show just 50% of these were issued within the 20-week timeframe – a slight improvement on 49% in 2022.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The number of children needing extra support through education and healthcare plans is now at a record high, but many families are still waiting too long for assessments and that they need.”

He added: “The current system is simply not sustainable.

“The next government must tackle the Send crisis as a priority.”

In Barnet, all support plans were delivered within the time limit.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of ASCL, said: “The failure to match growing demand with adequate government investment has brought the entire Send system to the brink of collapse, with schools unable to afford the costs of providing Send, a lack of available places in special schools and local authorities have large needs deficits.”

An EHC plan can only be issued after a child or young person has been formally assessed.

Across the country, 138,242 requests for initial assessments were made – 21% more than the previous year. This included 985 in Barnet, 221 of which were refused by Barnet Council.

In total, 3,809 Barnet children had an EHC plan in January.

Sarah White, head of policy at disability charity Sense, said: “Mainstream and early years schools are underfunded and ill-equipped to identify and meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities, and the consequences would it could be devastating for them.

“We also know that many children are not getting the support they need even when they have a plan in place.”

Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “These record figures remind us of the huge pressure councils are under, with the number of EHCPs increasing every year since they were introduced in 2014.

“It is absolutely vital that whoever forms the next government brings forward without delay proposals to reform the Send system, with a focus on improving levels of overall inclusion, as well as reversing the councils’ large deficits in needs.”

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