The latest figures show the number of children with an EHC plan has risen from 430,697 last year to 473,255 in January this year – an increase of nearly 10 per cent. This is the highest number of new EHC plans in a year, following rises annually since the introduction of the plans in 2014.
A breakdown of the data shows almost half of the new plans continue to be for those aged five to ten.
It comes as a new report highlights the importance of intervening early on to support children with learning disabilities.
According to the Government data, as of this year, a total of 18,054 children under the age of five and 154,940 five- to 10-year-olds had an EHC plan and statement of SEN.
It also shows that the legal 20-week target for issuing new plans has been consistently missed by around 40 per cent.
According to the National Education Union (NEU), funding for pupils with EHC plans has not kept up with the ‘huge rise’ in need. It says in order to restore the plans to their real value in 2015-16 would require an additional £3.6bn.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said, ‘The latest release of pupils with high level special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) shows that the Government do not have a plan to support children and young people with high level special educational needs and disabilities. The Government needs to increase resources for local authorities so that they can support schools to provide education for these pupils and fulfil their statutory duties to them.
‘Parents of SEND children are crying out for this government to tackle this crisis in provision. Every year the Government delays fundamental change is another year children with SEND fail to get the support they need.’
‘Investing in early intervention’
The struggle families of disabled children face to access the early years support and services they need is highlighted in a new report from national charity Cerebra in collaboration with The Challenging Behaviour Foundation, Council for Disabled Children, University of Warwick and Mencap. Cerebra is a charity that helps children with brain conditions and their families.
The report, ‘Investing in early education’, provides insights and examples of the difference it can make when families of children with learning difficulties can access support early on.
Dame Christine Lenehan, director of the Council for Disabled Children, said, ‘We need to use this report to bring about the changes that we need, nationally and locally, to ensure children and young people secure better outcomes, realise their ambitions and live full lives with their family and in their community. There is no more important indicator of our national wellbeing and of our fundamental humanity.
‘The importance of early intervention is recognised in a range of policy and guidance around support and services for children and young people with learning disabilities. Examples from practice also demonstrate how early intervention support can be delivered successfully to children with learning disabilities and their families in the UK to support prevention and a joined-up approach. Yet too often it is not happening.’
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) warned that while we await the outcome of the Government’s SEND consultation, seeing views on the Green Paper, children are losing out’.
Director of quality and training Stella Ziolkowski said, ‘Sufficient investment and resources must be in place now to help all children, along with specialist training and support for the workforce.”
‘Nurseries and early years professionals already do a lot of work with families in supporting their child where a need has been identified and engage with external services and other professionals to provide the right support to meet children’s needs.
‘However, there are many challenges which make this much harder for families and providers. The waiting time across local areas for professional intervention differs greatly and often takes a long time before intervention can begin. Insufficient funding to fully support children’s needs is also a challenge. Government and local authority funding doesn’t always cover the support children need and this then often falls to the setting or families to provide out of their own funds.
‘Providing children with the support they need in their earliest years really makes a difference to children lives. Where the right interventions have been put in place children are developing and more prepared for the transition to school and as lifelong learners.’
