Oct 21, 2024, Bucks Herald: Rise in special education health care requests in Bucks shows 'strain' on services
SE England
Demand on the service is ‘continually growing’ in part due to an increasing number of requests for education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
The number of requests made to Bucks Council for assessments for the plans in 2023/24 grew by 12 per cent on the previous year, to reach 7,003, according to a new report presented to the council’s standards and general purposes committee.
She said: “With regards to the educational psychologists problem, it is a national issue and a lot of the complaints in that area relate to the wait for those EHCP assessments as to whether they go past the first assessment stage.”
The report said that the council’s children’s services received a total of 262 complaints during 2023/24, marking a 22 per cent rise on the previous 12 months.
It read: “The SEND service remains under strain, as demonstrated by the 49 additional complaints, primarily concerning delays in EHC needs assessment requests.
