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Weekly Newsletter - 23.1.2025

Plus: A lost generation? Why we must fix the SEND crisis now

Author

Rafe Houston
January 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

EHCP

✨Welcome to the EHCP Community Newsletter!✨

We’re thrilled to have you as part of this exclusive community of professionals dedicated to transforming the EHCP process. As champions of innovation in SEND services, you’re at the forefront of shaping how AI can support better outcomes for children, families, and caseworkers alike.

In our weekly newsletter you will find curated articles, thought pieces, success stories, and expert insights to help you understand how new types of technology and training can SEND services. So do engage, read the articles that interest you and share any perspectives you have as we all seek to make a lasting difference to lives of children and young people.

To ensure you never miss an edition, please add [email protected] to your contact list.

REPORT 🗎

What if creating Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) didn’t mean battling backlogs, but instead unlocking opportunities to focus on what truly matters - children and families? In our latest Backlogs to Brilliance report, we explore how generative AI is revolutionising EHCP creation. And there’s no one better to explain the transformative insights than Sarah, a former EHC plan writer, who’s featured in this short video, sharing highlights from the report.

Watch Sarah’s Highlights From The Report Here👇:

🔗 Download the Backlogs to Brilliance report to learn how your team can leverage EHCP Plus to save hours, streamline processes, and make a real difference.

Together, we can help caseworkers reclaim time for what truly matters.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are investigating why children with SEND are increasingly absent from school. This initiative aims to understand their experiences and barriers to education, ensuring vulnerable children receive necessary support, with findings to be reported in autumn.

Hi all, I’m Sarah - a former SEND Caseworker and now a SEND Advisor with Agilisys Transform helping create the next generation of AI tools for improving SEND provision. I was not always involved in SEND, as previously I was an editor of children’s educational books. I developed a passion for children’s learning and development so later re-trained and became a teacher in a special school. Following this, I worked as a SEND Caseworker/EHC Plan Writer for around 12 years. As a teacher and caseworker, my main focus has always been in improving outcomes for children with SEND and their families.

The SEND System is at Breaking Point – AI Can Help Fix It

As a former EHCP Plan Writer and Caseworker, I’ve seen how the SEND system is failing children and families. Caseworkers are overwhelmed, parents are battling for support, and over 170,000 children are waiting for help. With only 50% of EHCPs completed within the statutory 20-week timeframe, the system is unsustainable. Without urgent action, we risk a lost generation.

Initially sceptical about AI in EHCP drafting, I now see it as a vital tool to support caseworkers, not replace them. AI-driven solutions can streamline EHCP drafting, freeing caseworkers to focus on families. With the PAC calling for urgent reform, digital transformation must be part of the solution—AI is here now to help councils tackle backlogs and improve support for SEND children.

SEND SYSTEM REFORM

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called for urgent reforms to England's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, warning of a "lost generation" of children unable to access vital support. With 1.7 million children requiring SEND assistance, the system is plagued by delays, funding shortages, and regional inequalities.

Key challenges include a 140% surge in EHCP demand over a decade, council budget deficits risking bankruptcy, and insufficient specialist school places. The government has pledged £1 billion and allocated £740 million for school accessibility improvements, but stakeholders stress the need for systemic reform to restore confidence and deliver meaningful support.

EHCP DELAYS

Four-year-old Bodhi, displaying significant signs of autism, was left without a specialist school place after Birmingham City Council missed the deadline to issue his EHCP. Despite early efforts by his parents, Kray and Sacha, delays meant they missed the application window for specialist schools, leaving them to apply for a mainstream school that may not meet his needs.

The family has since moved to Staffordshire, hoping for better support, but without an EHCP, their situation remains unchanged. Birmingham issued only 58.9% of EHCPs on time in 2023, highlighting a widespread issue affecting families seeking timely support.

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are investigating why children with SEND are increasingly absent from school. This initiative aims to understand their experiences and barriers to education, ensuring vulnerable children receive necessary support, with findings to be reported in autumn.