THE county council has warned parents to be realistic about the improvements it can make to SEND provision in Essex report the Local Democrat y Reporter.

In March 2024, the Committee were advised that, due to the significant increase in the number of requests for statutory assessment and a significant deficit in Educational Psychologist capacity, only one per cent of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were issued by Essex County Council within the 20-week statutory deadline.

The primary driver of this delay was insufficient capacity within the Educational Psychology (EP) service, which was unable to meet the sharp rise in demand for assessments following the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge in requests led to a backlog of over 1,300 EP assessments.

However, while the original backlog of 1,300 cases has been successfully cleared, demand for assessments has continued to rise.

Essex County Council currently agrees on average 220 new requests for assessment each month, a volume that exceeds available EP capacity. As a result, the waiting list has continued to grow.

At the start of the 2025/26 academic year, the number of cases awaiting EP allocation had reached 1,998, highlighting the sustained pressure on the system despite targeted efforts to improve performance.

Councillor Tony Ball, cabinet member for education, said: “As a result, progress is being made. But we also need to be realistic that this won’t be linear and can’t always be quantified. As we address challenges in specific parts of the system, we still need to manage significant pressures in others – now and in the future.

“We understand how frustrating this is for families but addressing these challenges continues to be a priority for us. We recently reiterated this with the announcement of our new £1.3 million SEND improvement and transformation plan.”

To address this ongoing challenge, Essex County Council is implementing several initiatives to increase educational psychology capacity.

A second-year contract has been agreed with the agency to deliver 1,900 assessments during the 2025/26 academic year.

Councillor Ball added: “We know there is more to do so that every family feels the benefit of the changes we are making. A review by our People and Families Policy and Scrutiny Committee highlighted the need to improve communication and rebuild trust with families – something we never take for granted. We know we have a long way to go with this, but we’re determined to get there.

“Families deserve a fair, clear and well-resourced system and councils need the tools and funding to deliver it. We remain committed to listening, learning and working together to build a SEND system that works for everyone.”