Parents of vulnerable children are being forced to wait nearly a year to challenge refusals by councils to offer SEND support.
The special educational needs and disability tribunal (SENDIST) gives parents the right to appeal a council’s decisions on educational, health and care plans (EHCPs), such as refusals to issue one or disagreeing with its school provision.
When they do reach court, nine in ten of the cases are found in the favour of parents. But more appeals than ever are being lodged, with a growing backlog.
A freedom of information request from Schools Week now shows just 79 per cent of cases were completed within 22 weeks this year, down from 91 per cent in 2018-19.
