EHCP demand grew fastest in areas with rapid demographic change
+42% Average 5yr EHCP growth
Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) numbers have grown by an average of 42% over five years across our 25 tracked local authorities.
The fastest growth is in areas that also carry high asylum dispersal loads:
- Blackpool: +51.2% EHCP growth, 142.8 crimes per 1,000
- Preston: +46.8% growth, 118.4 crimes per 1,000
- North Northamptonshire: +45.1% growth, rapid demographic change
Rising EHCP numbers reflect multiple factors: improved identification practices, changing diagnostic thresholds, increased parental awareness, and genuine prevalence changes. Language barriers in areas with higher non-English-speaking populations may also affect identification timing.
The question for local authorities is whether SEND funding models keep pace with demand in areas under simultaneous demographic, asylum, and deprivation pressures.
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