Following yesterday’s revelation that the Isle of Wight had the third longest individual wait in the country for a finalised Education and Health Care Plan, the council have responded to the news.
An investigation by the BBC found that one individual on the Island had to wait 1,005 days (that’s over two and a half years) for a finalised EHC plan from the Isle of Wight council. The third longest in the country.
IWC: Finalised in 20 weeks in majority of cases
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“The Isle of Wight Council aims to carry out Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and produce Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) if required, as quickly as possible, and within the 20 week timescale.
“This is usually achieved in the majority of cases. It will also ensure, that assessments are properly and robustly carried out to identify a child/young person’s needs and to provide the support to which they are entitled to meet identified needs.”
IWC: 1,005 days ‘an exceptional case’
The spokesperson went on to say,
“In this individual case, the identified needs were complex and the young person required specialist provision in a number of local authority areas which further complicated this process. This situation led to the delay in the EHC being formally finalised but it did not affect the type and quality of education being delivered.
“This is an exceptional case and all current assessments are due to be finalised within the statutory timescale.”
Delays to autism diagnoses
Long delays with the diagnosis of autism have been widely reported over the last year, with an estimated 430 children on the waiting list. Some have been waiting years for a diagnosis.
One Isle of Wight teenager with autism said she was driven to a suicide attempt after her decade-long battle for a diagnosis.
