Eligible children waited more than eight months for education support plan update from North West council, Ombudsman finds
An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found that nearly 60% of eligible Tameside children waited more than eight months for an education support plan update, with the council “routinely” taking too long to complete reviews of the support it offers to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
During an investigation into a mother’s complaint that the council had taken too long to review her children’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, the Ombudsman found Tameside was failing to meet statutory timescales for reviews for the majority of children and young people in the area.
In the mother’s case, the Ombudsman found it took the council ten and a half months too long to let the mother know whether it intended to “cease, maintain or amend” one of her children’s EHC Plans.
By the date of the Ombudsman’s report, the child’s EHC Plan had still not been issued.
The Ombudsman noted: “In the other child’s case, the council again delayed completing the annual review process and sent details of its intentions to amend the plan nine months late.”
The report also criticised the way the council recorded details about the children’s annual review meetings, and found fault with certain aspects of the way it handled the mother’s complaints.
To remedy the injustice caused, the local authority has agreed to apologise to the mother and issue a final EHC Plan for the child who does not have an up-to-date plan.
It will also pay the mother a combined £2,100 for the uncertainty, distress and inconvenience the family has faced.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal, said: “During my investigation, I found more than 57% of children with EHC Plans experienced delays of eight months or longer having their plans reviewed. In 2024, when we made our enquiries, it had only completed reviews in little more than 21% of cases, despite the time being nearly 65% of the way through the year.
“All these delays represent children and young people who are potentially not having their needs met, because the most up-to-date information about the precise support they require has not been finalised."
She added: “I have asked the council to produce an action plan to show how it will address the significant backlog of EHC Plan reviews it now holds, make this publicly available and ensure a relevant body - made up of local councillors - oversees its progress.
“I am pleased the council has accepted my recommendations and hope by making its improvement plan accountable to local members it will ensure standards are raised for the benefit of children and young people across the area.”
A Tameside Council Spokesperson said: “We sincerely apologise to families affected by the delays in the annual review and the issuance of final Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). We understand the significant impact these delays have on families and the challenges they present.
“In Tameside, we have an unprecedented number of EHCPs, 3,678, which is percentage-wise double the national average. This has placed a considerable strain on our resources. However, we have a clear action plan to improve this situation and address the significant backlog of EHCP reviews we must process. While we have already made progress, we acknowledge that this is a complex matter with a considerable journey ahead of us and accept the recommendations made in the report.
“As a council, we have a clear vision for prioritising SEND. We are committed to addressing shortcomings, not just by making improvements but by stabilising the system and driving it forward to ensure we meet the current and future needs of children and young people in Tameside with SEND through services co-produced alongside CYP and their families.”
Lottie Winson
