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Cambridgeshire County Council leader apologises for SEND assessment delays and backlog
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Lucy Nethsingha, the leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, has apologised to families for a backlog of 1,800 children waiting for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Only 9% of EHCPs in Cambridgeshire are issued within the statutory 20-week deadline, compared to a national average of 46%. Nethsingha cited high staff turnover, a national shortage of educational psychologists, and an enormous increase in applications as contributing factors.
Wichtige Punkte
- Cambridgeshire County Council leader Lucy Nethsingha apologised for a backlog of 1,800 children waiting for SEND assessments.
- Only 9% of EHCPs in Cambridgeshire are issued within the statutory 20-week deadline, well below the national average of around 46%.
- Mainstream schools missed out on over £7.3m in funding last year because EHCP funding is not backdated when plans are issued late.
- Nethsingha highlighted a national shortage of educational psychologists and high staff turnover as key bottlenecks.
- The council has hired more staff and is investing additionally to tackle the delays.