Havering is grappling with a significant backlog in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) due to a shortage of educational psychologists (EPs), the People Overview & Scrutiny Sub Committee heard on Tuesday 15 July 2025.
The committee convened to discuss the growing demand for EHCPs and the challenges in meeting the statutory 20-week deadline for issuing these plans. The EHCP Summary for OSSC July 2025 report acknowledges that it is impossible to meet the demand for assessments from permanent staff alone, despite Havering's strong record of recruitment and retention of EPs compared to its neighbours.
Nationally, there has been a 10.8% increase in EHCPs in England from January 2024 to January 2025. In Havering, the increase was even more pronounced, with a 16% rise from 2,583 in January 2024 to 3,009 in January 2025. While the percentage of pupils in Havering with EHCPs remains slightly below the national average (4.4% compared to 4.7% in 2024), the gap is narrowing.
According to the EHCP Summary for OSSC July 2025 report, only 34% of EHCPs have been issued within the 20-week timeframe since 1 April 2025, significantly lower than the national figure of 50.3% in 2023. The primary cause for this underperformance is the requirement for Educational Psychologist reports as part of EHC needs assessments, coinciding with a national shortage of EPs and a surge in demand.
The report noted that performance dropped to 0% during periods without any EP capacity. A contract with an agency providing EP advice led to improved performance, but this contract has now expired. The procurement process for a new contract is underway but will not be finalised until 1 November 2025, leading to a projected backlog in the interim. The Public Reports Pack indicates a start of year backlog of 150 EHCP assessments for the academic year 2025/261.
To mitigate the backlog and improve future performance, Havering is investing in the Assessment & Placement Team to reduce caseloads from January 2026. The council is also considering alternative strategies to address the EP shortage and improve EHCP processing times, such as retaining permanent staff who offer value for money as they deliver preventative / early intervention work and other services (e.g., tribunals). The council also plans to use AI (Beam) to draft EHCPs, freeing up capacity for improved communication with parents/carers, schools, and settings. This is expected to ensure stronger performance once the new EP contract is in place.
1 The Public Reports Pack indicates a start of year backlog of 150 EHCP assessments for the academic year 2025/26.
