DEVON’S health service is aiming for a ‘challenging target’ to ensure families don’t wait more than a year for an autism assessment.

The NHS in Devon has a backlog of families who want their children assessed for the condition, usually because a diagnosis can lead to them obtaining additional support at school.

The outcome of an assessment is a crucial factor in education health and care plans, or EHCPs, which are formal documents that state what additional needs a child has, and therefore what extra support they can receive.

However, delays can have an impact on EHCPs being completed. 

Critics claim that Devon County Council seldom meets the 20-week statutory assessment period.

Suzanne Smart, director of women’s and children’s improvement, told the council’s children’s scrutiny committee this week that health bosses in the county had met recently to make a plan, as the number of children waiting for an assessment is ‘particularly challenging’.

She said: ‘We are working with parents and other organisations, such as community offerings and the voluntary sector, to look at autism recovery and we have a challenging target that assessments will take no more than 52 weeks by April 2025.

‘That’s ambitious to try and achieve but we do have additional resources to help although there will be challenges around workforce availability to deliver that, which is a challenge in Devon and nationally.’

Ms Smart said NHS Devon would be launching its ‘Waiting Well’ offer online soon, aimed at supporting parents while they are waiting for an autism assessment.