EHCPs: Children being denied SEND support, say frustrated Burnley and Pendle mums

These parents say they have struggled to obtain education, health, and care plans from Lancashire County Council. An EHCP details the support a child with special educational needs and disabilities is legally entitled to receive.

Colne mum, Mrs Begum, who works for the local authority in an educational setting, claims a seven-month fight has resulted in her four-year-old son losing out on a place at a SEND primary school. She says he has been diagnosed with Autism and, being non-verbal, he can copy words or phrases and will repeat them out of context, meaning his verbal skills are "non-functional". She adds that this has been backed up by professional reports and consultation feedback from mainstream schools that claim they cannot meet his needs.

The EHCP written by the council portrayed his verbal abilities incorrectly, suggesting he would need less support than the professional reports indicated and resulting in him being placed in a mainstream school, according to Mrs Begum. She also accused the authority of taking too long and at times not even responding to communication to approve her submitted changes to the plan.

The youngster’s sensory needs - being outdoors and around water – have also been “completely disregarded”, Mrs Begum added.

"It's like [the county council] brushes over the child's needs. It's disgraceful,” she said.

“You can imagine the stress and anxiety that builds up for parents. It's difficult. We don't get the support from the authority that we need. I have insomnia because we're so stressed."

The EHCP, she notes, "affects our child during the most important years of his life. If he's in the wrong setting, he will regress."

Mrs Begum went through mediation with LCC, only receiving the amended plan last month, despite appealing the incorrect version within the deadline. She now plans to fight the decision over the school place at a tribunal, adding: "It's like you're going in circles when you go to the local authority. It's like you're not being listened to. It's upsetting and frustrating, but where do you go when you're supposed to go to the council?”

Lancashire SEND Information, Advice, and Support Service offers free, confidential, and impartial guidance to parents. It's run at arm's length from the council. But Mrs Begum says she has been told it is too understaffed and underfunded to help them through the tribunal process.

Lauren Jane Hutchinson, of Burnley, has had a mixed experience.

She believes her nine-year-old son's EHCP for his ASD and ADHD was fundamental in securing a place at an oversubscribed SEND school.

It wasn't an easy process, she reflects. The council instructed her to view SEND schools while the plan was being created, but only Cribden House would open its doors without an EHCP in place.

She also believes parents are given inadequate information about EHCPs. The entire process, by law, should last no more than 20 weeks. But for Lauren, it took around 18 months.

"And there's no guarantee you'll get one," she said.

"It's so frustrating."

Her 15-year-old daughter, who has ADHD, has "struggled" in her studies. Lauren says her school did not put an EHCP in place and she worries about how the teenager will cope at college without one.

"I don't want her to get in trouble for needing a couple of minutes out of class," said Lauren.

"It seems once they go to high school, they get lost in the system. Children are suffering. If they're having a melt-down, [staff] think it's [down to their] mental health because they're over 11. They just get left. Some schools are failing them."

Jane Gent's son, who has autism and ADHD, attended The Heights while waiting for his plan. It exceeded the legal 20-week timeframe as Braeden waited to see an educational psychologist. The Burnley youngster remained at The Heights, which is designed to provide short-term provision, for more than a year.

Jane feared she'd have to give up work when The Heights warned that her son's time at the school was nearly up. That's when the council finally stepped up, she said.

Now in Year 5, he's "happy and settled" at Cribden House. But the impact of the long wait for support has left Braeden struggling with relationships.

Despite their battles, some parents worry about the Government’s potential shakeup of EHCPs. Lauren calls them "life-changing", saying “they set children up for the future”. She credits her son’s plan for his place at Cribden while her eldest is “stumbling through" without one.

The Lancashire SEND Partnership, which includes the county council, has been reforming its SEND services after an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission flagged widespread concerns. EHCP reforms include a new portal, to be rolled out in stages from September, and a check tool that aims to more than double the number of EHCP audits.

Its action plan also includes: an extra £5m. for LCC SEND staffing; £1.8m. for improving the Neurodivergent Pathway; a new SEND academy to train staff; plans for an additional 1,200 educational psychologist assessments to be rolled out within the next nine months; 200 new specialist school places from this September; and the identification of a site for a new special school.

Jacqui Old CBE, vice chair of Lancashire SEND Partnership Board and Executive Director for Education and Children's Services, said the authority apologises “to the children, young people, and families who have been let down.”

"As a Partnership, we are resolute in our commitment to making meaningful and lasting improvements. I am encouraged by the progress already underway, but we know there is much more to do.”

Jacqui highlighted the growing demand for SEND support and EHCPs nationwide, but acknowledged that “this does not lessen [the Partnership’s] responsibility to act decisively and with urgency.”

She vowed: "We will not rest until every child, parent, and carer experiences a system that is fair, responsive, and truly supportive.”