Around three-quarters of the Education, Health and Care Plans approved in Lancashire were processed on time last year, with some children waiting more than five months for adequate support.
The plans allow families to access tailored assistance for children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs, but delays in creating them mean youngsters are struggling to access vital help, disability charity Scope says.
By law, councils have 20 weeks from the date of a request being made to craft a plan.
But Department for Education statistics show just 75 per cent of the EHCPs created in Lancashire last year were processed within that time frame.
The proportion of those plans finalised on time was around the same as in 2019.
The proportion of plans issued within 20 weeks has dropped nationally and is down to 58 per cent from 60 per cent last year.
The figures exclude cases where exceptions to the normal timescale applied – including any impacted by changes to council services in…
