Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of education, health and care plans.

Under the education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment process, local authorities must seek information and advice from a range of partners, including the child or young person and their parents, their school or college (if any), health and social care partners, an educational psychologist and other relevant professionals.

If it is determined necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person, the local authority must prepare an EHC plan which will say clearly what the child or young person’s needs are and what help they will be entitled to.

We know that families face issues with EHC plans and that it can sometimes take a long time for support to be delivered.

This government believes that in a well-functioning system, that is why we are committed to addressing the systemic issues that make special educational needs and disabilities support so hard to access for many families.

We are thinking about how to protect support for the children that will always need specialist placements, and make accessing that support less bureaucratic and adversarial, and how we can intervene earlier so support can be provided regardless of whether a legal plan is in place.