Newcastle City Council has significantly reduced delays in assessing children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), but most families are still waiting longer than the legal limit for an education, health and care plan (EHCP).
The council has previously apologised for lengthy delays in producing EHCPs, the legal documents that outline the support a child will receive. Local authorities have a statutory deadline of 20 weeks to issue an EHCP after a request, but rising demand has made it difficult for Newcastle to meet this target.
Improvement in Timeliness
In early 2024, the council took an average of 41 weeks to produce an EHCP, more than double the legal requirement. However, figures presented to councillors this week show progress. The proportion of EHCPs issued within 20 weeks rose from 11.9% in September 2025 to 47.1% in July 2026, though the majority remain overdue.
Cumulatively, 31.4% of plans were produced on time between January and July 2026, up from 19.1% in 2025 and fewer than 10% in 2023 and 2024. The average time to complete assessments was 22 weeks in July 2026, down from 30 weeks in September 2025.
Reduction in Long-Standing Cases
The council currently has no assessments pending for more than a year, and the number taking longer than 30 weeks fell to 12 in July 2026, compared with 80 in October 2024.
Liberal Democrat councillor Christine Morrissey, the council’s cabinet member for children, said: "We know how important Education, Health and Care Plans are for children, young people and their families, which is why improving timeliness and quality remains a key priority. I'm pleased to see the significant progress being made, with the proportion of plans issued within the statutory timescale increasing steadily throughout the year and the number of long-standing assessments continuing to reduce.
"These improvements reflect the hard work of our SEND teams and the changes we have introduced to strengthen services, including our new workstream model, improved placement planning processes, and closer collaboration with schools and partners. While we recognise there is more to do, this positive progress means more children and young people are receiving the support they need more quickly, and families are benefiting from a more transparent and responsive service."
