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<p>Responsibility for local authority funding lies with the Department for Levelling
Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).</p><p>Local authorities have a statutory responsibility
to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require
an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. EHC plans must be issued within twenty weeks
of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the
support they need.</p><p>In 2022, 49.2% of EHC plans were issued within the twenty
week time limit. Where local authorities are failing to deliver, the department works
with them using a range of improvement programmes and special educational needs and
disabilities (SEND) specialist advisers to address weaknesses. The department is also
putting in place measures such as developing new national standards and a standardised
EHC plan process to improve the SEND system so that, where an EHC plan is needed,
they can be issued as quickly as possible to ensure children and young people can
access the support they need.</p><p> </p>
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