Check deadlines

EHCPs in Kent: deadlines, contacts and local help

Everything you need to ask for, check or challenge an EHCP with Kent County Council, in one place.

56.9%

of new EHCPs here were issued on time in 2025. England: 46.1%.

On this page

In short

  • In 2025, 56.9% of new EHCPs in Kent were issued within the legal 20 weeks (about 6 in 10). The England average was 46.1%.
  • The law and the deadlines are the same in every council in England.
  • Free, independent help is available from Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK).

How Kent is doing on the 20-week deadline

56.9%

of new plans issued within 20 weeks in 2025, up from 33.3% in 2024.

46.1%

England average in 2025.

1,756

new EHC plans issued by Kent in 2025.

Source: Department for Education, Education, health and care plans, published June 2026. Figures exclude the few cases where the law allows a delay.

Kent does better than the England average, but some families still wait longer. If your child’s plan is late, read what to do if the council misses an EHCP deadline.

Who to contact in Kent

The council

Ask for an assessment

Kent County Council decides on EHC needs assessments and writes the plan.

How to ask the council

Free and independent

Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK)

Free, confidential advice about SEND and EHCPs, separate from the council. Phone 03000 41 3000.

Visit their website

Other parents

Kent Parents and Carers Together (Kent PACT)

Local parents of children with SEND, working with the council to improve services.

Visit their website

Local services

Kent Local Offer

The council’s directory of SEND services, schools and support in your area.

Open the Local Offer

Good to know. Kent calls its Local Offer the SEND Information Hub. You ask for an assessment through an online form, and you need to create a Kent County Council account first. The law doesn’t require a particular form, so if the online form is hard to use, IASK can help you send your request another way.

Getting an EHCP in Kent: step by step

  1. Ask Kent County Council for an EHC needs assessment in writing. Use our free request letter.
  2. Put the date the council received it into our deadline checker. The council must reply within 6 weeks.
  3. If the council agrees, it gathers advice from professionals. The final plan is due within 20 weeks of your request.
  4. Check the draft plan carefully. You have 15 days to comment. Use our draft plan checklist.
  5. If a deadline is missed, chase the council. If that doesn’t work, make a formal complaint, then go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Questions parents ask

Does Kent have its own rules for EHCPs?

No. Every council in England follows the same law: the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Regulations 2014. Kent County Council may publish its own guidance, but it can’t add extra tests, such as needing a diagnosis. Read the EHCP criteria.

What if Kent says no?

You can appeal to the SEND Tribunal. Contact a mediation adviser first. The time limit is 2 months from the decision letter, or 1 month after your mediation certificate, whichever is later. Read how to appeal.

Can I name a school outside the council area?

Yes. You can ask for a school in another council area. The same legal tests apply. Read naming a school in an EHCP.

Nearby councils

The council responsible for your child’s EHCP is usually the one where your child lives, even if they go to school somewhere else. Nearby councils we cover: East Sussex, Surrey, Medway, Bromley and Bexley. You can also see every council we cover.

Sources

Contacts last checked: 18 October 2026. If something has changed, please tell us.