Council completing just 17% of SEND education plans on time

Waltham Forest Council is currently providing less than a fifth of families with bespoke education, health and care plans (EHCPs) within the 20-week statutory time limit, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Just 17% of tailored education plans for children in Waltham Forest with special educational needs (SEND) are completed on time, new data shows.

The council is currently providing less than a fifth of families with bespoke education, health and care plans (EHCPs) within the 20-week statutory time limit.

This is down from 25% last year, when Waltham Forest Council ranked the second-worst in London for completion rates.

The town hall has apologised and blamed increasing demand for assessments, citing a 39% increase in two years, and says an improvement plan is already in place.

However, campaigners say it means children are getting left behind.

Claire Bithell, a local parent and member of Waltham Forest SEND Crisis, said the figures were “shocking” and a “new low” for the council.

“Behind every missed deadline is an unsupported disabled child whose education, social support and health is at risk,” she said.

“On 2025 figures, this would put Waltham Forest as the worst borough in London. Other London boroughs have exactly the same financial challenges, but are managing to better meet these deadlines.”

A 2025 government inspection of SEND services in the borough, which is overseen by the council and its NHS partners, found that children face “inconsistent experiences and outcomes”.

The Waltham Forest SEND Crisis group protested outside the town hall last year, claiming the previous Labour administration was “failing” their children.

Claire continued: “The new [Green] council included improved support for children with additional needs in their campaign to get elected. This statistic should be a wake up call.

“Instead of scapegoating parents like the last council did, we hope we can have a more open conversation to enable meaningful changes. Publishing key metrics on SEND performance would be a good start.”

Councillor Daisy Richardson, the new cabinet member for children and young people, said the authority “recognised the impact that delays in completing EHCPs” can have on children and their families.

“We apologise to those families who have had to wait for their assessments and the frustration it has caused,” she said.

“The backlog has been driven by increasing demand for EHC needs assessments, alongside a national shortage of educational psychologists whose input is required as part of the assessment process.

“In Waltham Forest specifically, we are facing a substantial rise in demand – we have experienced a 39% increase in only two years. These pressures have affected our capacity to complete assessments within the statutory timeframe.”

She said the council was “determined to improve the way we work to address these challenges”.

Its improvement plan “increases staffing and provides additional resources to support the team, with a dedicated focus on completing outstanding assessments and reducing the backlog”.

She added: “Alongside this, our wider SEND reform programme aims to improve the timeliness and quality of EHCPs and at the same time strengthen the support we provide to families, whether they have received or are waiting on an assessment.

“We want parents to be confident that we work hard to support their children and that our work always has the needs of local families at heart.”

More than 267,000 children in London are now identified as having special educational needs and disabilities, which is categorised under SEND.

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