Somerset Conservatives have renewed concerns over the county’s SEND system after newly released figures showed major delays in Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) phase transfer reviews.
The figures were released following questions submitted by Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, Leader of the Opposition at Somerset Council, regarding statutory phase transfer deadlines for children and young people moving between schools or into post-16 education.
The data revealed that in 2025/26 only 9% of post-16 EHCP phase transfer reviews were completed on time, meaning 91% missed the statutory deadline.
As of 30 April 2026, 1,422 post-16 phase transfer reviews remained outstanding, alongside 341 Year 11 transfers and 207 February transfers for younger pupils.
Councillor Diogo Rodrigues said:
“The figures released by Somerset Council are deeply concerning and confirm that the SEND system is failing children and families at critical transition points in their education. Only 9% of post-16 EHCP phase transfer reviews were completed on time in 2025/26. That means 91% missed the statutory deadline.
As of 30th April this year, 1,422 post-16 phase transfer reviews were still outstanding, alongside hundreds more for younger pupils moving between schools. That's almost 2,000 of the most vulnerable Somerset children and young people being left in uncertainty about their future education, support arrangements and placements."
He added:
“Families deserve confidence and stability when their child is moving into secondary school or post-16 education, instead many are being left in limbo because statutory deadlines are not being met.
This is no longer simply an issue of delays in new EHCP assessments. It points to wider systemic failure across Somerset’s SEND system by the Liberal Democrats and requires urgent repair."
Somerset Conservatives say the figures reinforce the need for urgent targeted investment in SEND services.
At Full Council on Wednesday 20th May, the Conservative Group will bring forward a motion calling for targeted investment to tackle the SEND backlog and improve statutory timeliness.
The motion highlights that current EHCNA performance remains significantly below legal requirements, with some assessments taking around 47 weeks on average to complete.
The motion calls on Somerset Council to bring forward approximately £1.3 million to £1.4 million of targeted investment in Educational Psychology, SEND casework and business support capacity, based on officer modelling which suggests the current backlog could be eliminated within 12 months with additional resources.
