Legal Support Plans for Children with Special Needs at Risk in England
The new regulations currently being developed by the government in England have raised concerns that the legal rights of children in need of special education may be restricted. Documents known as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have provided one-to-one support, therapy, and special education opportunities to children since 2014.
However, as the number of EHCPs has increased by 140% since 2015, the cost of maintaining the system is said to have become unsustainable. According to a report by the National Audit Office, many local authorities have begun to run deficits exceeding £100 million.
Education Minister Catherine McKinnell stated that the system is no longer functioning efficiently and implied that the EHCP scheme could potentially be abolished. Families and disability rights advocates have responded strongly to the proposed changes.
The Disabled Children’s Partnership—a major coalition of more than 90 organisations campaigning to improve health and social care for children in England—warned that abolishing EHCPs would leave thousands of children without access to education.
Meanwhile, the government announced the expansion of the Elsec programme, which provides early speech therapy. However, experts agree that early intervention services cannot replace the legal guarantees offered by EHCPs.
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