Sefton Council apologises as just 20% of EHCPs completed on time

By James Cave · 7th September 2026 Sefton Council has apologised to residents who have experienced delays in receiving Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs). EHCPs are legal documents confirming provisions for children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) that cannot be met by standard school support. Local authorities, such as Sefton Council, have 20 weeks from the date they receive the request for the assessment to provide a finalised EHCP. Sefton Council returned just 20% of EHCPs on time in Q1 2026/27, according to Cabinet documents published last week. UK law provides no threshold for partial compliance targets, stating simply that EHCPs must be returned in 20 weeks. Sefton Council's internal targets aim for 50% of all EHCP requests filed in time. Sefton Council 20-week EHCP compliance Q2 2025/26 – 40.5% Q3 2025/26 – 35.8% Q4 2025/26 – 25.0% Q1 2026/27 – 20.0% Documents prepared for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January confirmed that over 4,200 EHCPs were active within Sefton, and that 'the sufficiency of SEND provision remains a significant and ongoing strategic challenge.' A spokesperson for Sefton Council told OTS News : 'Sefton Council recognises that performance against statutory timescales for Education, Health and Care Plans EHCPs has declined in recent months. This is largely due to significant capacity challenges within our Educational Psychology service, combined with sustained growth in demand for statutory assessment and specialist support. 'We fully acknowledge the impact that delays can have on children, young people and their families, and we apologise to those who have experienced longer wait times than expected. 'To address these challenges we have implemented a comprehensive recovery plan which includes increasing permanent Educational Psychology capacity, alongside the commissioning of additional assessments from external providers. 'These measures are already being put in place and we will continue to ensure resources are targeted where they are needed most.'