Green Party councillors in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) are urgently calling for action on severe delays in processing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), which are harming local children and families. The leader of the Green group of Councillors, Joanna Wright, highlighted these failures at a recent scrutiny panel, pointing out that the council is missing legal deadlines, creating financial and emotional burdens for families.
In 2024, only 25.1% of EHCPs in B&NES were issued within the legal 20-week timeframe, compared to the national average of 50.3%. Families in B&NES reported waiting over a year for assessments to be completed, with devastating effects on children’s education and well-being.
One parent shared: “We are still waiting for my daughter’s EHCP after 57 weeks. These delays are unlawful and severely impact the future of our children.”
Another parent spoke of the personal cost: “The delay has meant our daughter cannot access appropriate education. We’ve had to fund her support privately, which adds financial and emotional stress.”
Councillor Wright criticised the council for these failures, noting that delays in issuing EHCPs are not just detrimental to children’s development but costly for local services. In 2021-22, councils across England spent £60 million on legal disputes over EHCPs, with 96% of cases won by parents. This waste of public money could have been spent directly on improving children’s services.
“Delays in issuing EHCPs have long-term costs for the council and NHS. Early support could prevent the need for more costly interventions later,” said Cllr Wright.
Green councillor, Saskia Heijltjes, also raised concerns about staffing shortages and high turnover within the EHCP team. These delays are exacerbated by vacancies including educational psychologists, to meet growing demand for EHCPs:
“We need data on how many EHCPs have been delayed since 2023 and insight into why team members have left. Are there enough educational psychologists to handle the caseload?”
The Green Group urges the council to prioritise recruiting and retaining staff to improve EHCP processing times and avoid unnecessary legal disputes. Delays undermine the future of children, strain families, and burden public resources.