Purpose

West Sussex County Council is experiencing increased demand for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs).  These assessments consider the requirements and support children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) may need to assist with their learning.

The provision of Educational Psychology advice is a statutory requirement within the EHCNA process and is essential to enabling the Council to meet its duties under the Children and Families Act 2014. Educational Psychologists are also required to input into the assessment and review process for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

The increasing demand for EHCNHAs and the high number of children with EHCPs is consequently creating additional pressure on the Council's Educational Psychology Service.  This can adversely impact the provision of timely Psychology advice for the EHCNA and EHCP process.

The Government’s SEND Reform White Paper, published in early 2026, focuses on the need for greater inclusion of children with SEND needs in mainstream schools to better support children in their local communities. To support this an ‘Experts at Hand’ grant has been announced to provide funding to increase support for mainstream Schools.

It is proposed to use the grant funding to commence a procurement process for the provision of a managed Educational Psychology assessment service. The commissioned provider will work in partnership with the Council's Educational Psychology Service to increase assessment capacity, support compliance with statutory timescales and ensure the delivery of high-quality Educational Psychology advice for children and young people with SEND. 

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning has approved:

(1) The commencement of a procurement process to secure a contract for the provision of Educational Psychology assessment services to support the delivery of Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), related reassessments and reviews for the Education, Health and Care Plan process.

(2) The delegation of authority to the Service Director (Education and Skills) to award the contract to the successful provider on conclusion of the procurement process, in accordance with the evaluation and tender requirements and within the financial parameters set out in this report.  The contract is anticipated to commence in January 2027 for a period until 31 March 2029.