Nursery World - Complaints about SEND support at ‘unprecedented level’

Families of children who need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) face delays of more than a year, according to a report, which has found that the number of complaints made by families has risen dramatically.

The number of families making complaints to the local government ombudsman about their child's EHCP has soared

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said that children with special educational needs and disabilities are increasingly being failed by the system designed to support them.

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) states the support a child with SEND can receive.

The local government ombudsman's latest report about the process has found that it is now upholding nearly nine out of every 10 investigations (87 per cent) .

It said it was investigating more complaints than it has ever done before about EHCPs.

In 2018-19, it received 45 per cent more complaints than in 2016-17 (315 cases up from 217), and carried out 80 per cent more detailed investigations (126 up from 70).

The new report, ‘Not going to plan?’ looks at the common problems the ombudsman is finding when investigating parents’ concerns.

Serious issues include:

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