Warwickshire County Council: Nine in 10 care plans for SEN children land later than legal deadline

Performance data set to be discussed by the county’s cabinet – the Reform UK panel of councillors in charge of major service areas – on Thursday (September 10) shows that authority was completing just 9.2 per cent of education health and care plans (ECHPs) within the statutory limit of 20 weeks.

An EHCP assessment is a detailed legal review carried out by the young person’s education authority to set out what needs they have and the support required.

From there, young people up to the age of 25 can be issued with a plan which formally sets out the extra resources they are entitled to.

Not all SEN children require a plan.

Warwickshire’s performance on this has lagged behind the national average for some time.

Published council data, produced four times a year, shows that 37 per cent of cases were wrapped up within 20 weeks in September 2023.

The national average for other councils was 50 per cent at the time.

That national average is now 46 per cent but Warwickshire has plummeted even further, bobbing between 14 and 30 per cent since.

Figures to the end of June have tended to be the worst each year but the 16 per cent seen in 2024 went up to 20 per cent in June 2025 only to sink to 9.2 per cent this time – the worst total displayed on the council’s public portal.

The council’s performance report cites “ongoing increases in demand for assessments” which “continue to create capacity pressures and backlog growth, impacting the service's ability to complete plans within the statutory timescale”.

It states that “an urgent plan is under development to improve the performance by next quarter” but elsewhere, the development of that plan is described as “underachieving”.

That issue is also put down to “increasing demand”.

Executive directors provide summaries within performance reports with director for children and young people John Coleman admitting: “The significant reduction in performance to the timeliness of EHCPs is a major concern and unacceptable.

“This is due to increasing demand, national policy changes and capacity pressures.”

He adds that the “average time framework” is now 28 weeks – more than six months – and notes that his department is scheduled to report to the council’s Children and Young People’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, September 22.

“A recovery plan will be completed and shared with the corporate board and (councillors),” he continued.

“The priority for the next quarter is to improve this performance, reduce backlogs and continue targeted work to improve timeliness.”