Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how long on average it has taken for an education, health and care plan for a special needs child to be put in place from the date of initial request for assessment for such a plan in the most recent period for which figures are available.

The Department for Education does not hold information on the average length of time it takes for an education, health and care (EHC) plan to be put in place from the date of initial request for assessment.

Of the new EHC plans made during the 2017 calendar year (excluding cases where exceptions apply), 64.9% were issued within the 20-week time limit, an increase from 58.6% in 2016. When including cases where exceptions apply, 61.3% were issued within the 20-week time limit, an increase from 55.7% in 2016.

More information on can be found in ‘Statements of special educational needs and EHC plans: England, 2018’

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018.