CHILDREN with special needs were suffering when they moved from primary to secondary school due to a ‘dreadful backlog’ in council assessments, councillors have been told.

Pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) undergo a ‘phase transfer’ while they move from one school to another aimed at ensuring they enjoy the same level of care and support without any gap in provision.

But, Somerset Council Conservative opposition group leader Cllr Diogo Rodrigues said too many were moving from one school to their next without ‘appropriate and timely transition arrangements’ in place.

Cllr Rodrigues said: “We are all very aware of the dreadful backlog of initial EHCP needs assessments in Somerset, it is so very much worse than in neighbouring areas, it does not need me to labour the point.

“I am concerned about the EHCP reviews that are required to support students’ phase transfers when they move from primary to secondary or on to post-16 education so their placements for the following September can be settled, and appropriate and timely transition arrangements can put in place beforehand.”

Somerset executive Cllr Heather Shearer admitted fewer transfers were completed in recent financial years, but said urgent steps were being taken to correct the situation.

Cllr Shearer said: “We have seen an increase in the total number of EHCP transfer reviews, for year 11 and post-16, in each of the three years mentioned, so they have gone up incrementally.

“Where we are completing transfers, we are doing them more quickly.

“It is really important we address this increasing demand and our capacity to meet demand.

“A number of urgent measures have been or are being taken to address this situation and ensure all phase transfers are completed by the end of the summer term.”