DORSET has seen a 61 per cent increase over nine months for younger children in care who also have an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP), giving them extra support.

The most common need identified for these children is around challenges over ‘social, emotional and mental health’ issues.

In October 2018, 41 young people in care (reception to year 11) had an EHCP - which had increased to 66 by July 2019, a 61% rise.

Half of the county’s looked after children with an EHCP are now being educated in specialist placements, compared to other children not in care with an EHCP, where the figure is 36 per cent. Of the specialist placements almost four in ten are outside Dorset.

A report to the Dorset Council Corporate Parenting Board (Sept 5) says that looked after children are significantly more likely to have special educational needs identified than their peers.

In 2018, national data shows that children in the care of a local authority are four times as likely to have a Special Educational Need than all children and are just over nine times more likely to have an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) than all children.

One of the concerns of the council is that with a rise in those having an EHCP it says it now needs to start improving its acknowledged ‘limited’ provision for young people who are 16+ with social, emotional and mental health needs.

A report to the board says that while some places will be provided for those up to 18 at a new specialist school at Bovington, these will only be available in three or four-years’ time. Those who are 16+ currently account for 28 per cent of the Dorset Council area total with an EHCP.

Figures before the committee show that the number of EHCPs agreed now stands at around 2,500 a year and is predicted to rise to 2,750 by 2022 adding to financial pressures on the budget.