CHILDREN waiting for special education needs and disability (SEND) support deserved to be better served by Somerset Council, the authority’s Conservative opposition councillors have said.

The Conservative group said the council was failing to deliver education, health and care plans (EHCPs) on time, meaning delays in SEND pupils receiving the extra help they needed.

Group leader Cllr Diogo Rodrigues said it was one of the biggest issues facing SEND families in Somerset.

Cllr Rodrigues said: “Too many children, too many parents, are being let down, and this council has a uniquely poor record on delivering EHCPs.”

He said by law, councils were required to issue EHCPs within 20 weeks, but Somerset in the six months to last September only issued 2.3 per cent within the deadline, and now had nearly 400 assessments overdue.

Cllr Rodrigues said by comparison other nearby authorities were performing ‘significantly better’ while facing the same national pressures.

He said in the 2024-25 academic year, Bath and North East Somerset issued 35 per cent of EHCPs on time, while in Wiltshire the figure was 64.95 per cent, and 88.2 per cent in North Somerset.

Cllr Rodrigues also said advice from the educational psychology service in Somerset was taking about 22 weeks to complete rather than the expected six weeks.

Without the advice, the EHCP process could not move forward, meaning families, children, and schools were left waiting.

The Conservative group had proposed allocating additional funding to deliver EHCP assessments to allow the council to start reducing delays and give staff time to carry out assessments properly, but the idea was not accepted by the council’s administration.

Cllr Rodrigues said: “Improving capacity in this area would help reduce the backlog, reduce pressure on staff, and allow children to receive the support they need sooner.”