DfE publishes research report on professional time spent developing and issuing new EHCPs
The Department for Education (DfE) has published a research report examining the amount of professional time local authority staff spend developing and issuing new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The findings are based on survey data from 859 professionals across 100 local authorities in England, covering 2,577 EHCPs. Respondents recorded the hours spent on the last three plans they worked on, across five statutory stages of the process, including the EHC needs assessment and finalising plans. The report estimates that between 56–68 hours of local authority professional time are spent on average per new EHCP, depending on the degree of overlap between roles. It highlights significant variation between cases, noting that children and young people with more complex needs can require substantially higher levels of professional input. Educational psychologists and principal educational psychologists each spent an estimated average of 17.4 hours per plan, primarily reflecting their statutory role in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment stage. Special educational needs and disability (SEND) case officers spent an average of 11.3 hours per plan, driven largely by their central responsibility for drafting and finalising EHCPs. SEND managers spent an average of 9.9 hours, with involvement spanning all stages of the process, while social workers reported an average of 4.8 hours, reflecting more variable involvement depending on individual case needs.