FOI release

Deaf children with EHCPs

Some or all of the information requested was not provided because we didn't hold it.

Case reference FOI2024/00366

Published 1 March 2024

Request

We are requesting the following information:

1) How many deaf children are in the Herefordshire area?

2) How many deaf children have EHCPs?

3) How are children performing against their EHCPs? are their needs being met?

Response

We are requesting the following information:

1) How many deaf children are in the Herefordshire area?

2) How many deaf children have EHCPs?

3) How are children performing against their EHCPs? are their needs being met?

A) The local authority does not collect data on all deaf children within Herefordshire. Children not requiring any support services are not required to report that they may be deaf.

Data on children attending maintained schools in Herefordshire is collected as part of the statutory school census.

Annually, all schools report the primary special educational need type of all pupils designated with SEND provision of either:

• Special Education Needs (SEN) Support

• Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan

Data is published on GOV.UK under the release title "Special educational needs in England". A link to the latest (2023) data is shown below:

Special educational needs in England: January 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The data shows that in January 2023:

1. 12 children with an EHC Plan had a primary ned type of "Hearing Impairment"

2. 78 children with SEN Support had a primary need type of "Hearing Impairment"

3. A further 8 children with an EHC Plan had a secondary need type of "Hearing Impairment"

4. A further 13 children with SEN Support had a secondary need type of "Hearing Impairment"

Please note - hearing impairment covers a spectrum of hearing difficulties. The local authority provides specialist support for any children identified as hearing impaired under the British Society of Audiology Guidelines 1988.

All children with an EHC Plan have an annual review during which the existing plan is reviewed to ensure that provision is appropriate to meet need. There is no recording of whether a child is 'performing against their EHCP'. The purpose of the EHC Plan is to ensure that appropriate provision is made to meet the needs of the individual child.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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