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The current study investigated the influence of the duration of the Education, Health, Care plan (EHCP) process and the role of level of professional support on the emotional well-being of 103 parents who had completed the EHCP process within the last year. Parents were asked to a complete an online questionnaire that asked for demographic information (age, gender, education level, social class), duration of the EHCP process (in weeks), level of professional support received, and the positive and negative emotions experienced in relation to the last year. The questionnaire was advertised on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and social forums for parents such as ‘’Scope Community”, which included a summary of the study and a link to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was split into six short pages beginning with a participation information sheet that detailed information about the purpose of the study and what is involved, followed by a consent form. This was then followed by asking participants for their demographic information and by the measures. The questionnaire then finished with a debrief sheet that provided information on organisations for additional support if needed. Findings revealed that a longer EHCP process was related to more negative emotions experienced, more professional support received was related with more positive emotions and less negative emotions experienced and older age individuals reported lower positive emotions. These findings lend support to existing evidence and literature for various reasons. First, delays in the EHCP process can result in more negative emotions experienced by parents, therefore further emphasises the importance of the EHCP process being completed within the legal 20-week time frame. Second, although the level of professional support received by the parent may not reduce the impact of delays in the EHCP process, the amount of professional support received is important for parents’ emotional well-being. Third, investigating the impact of age on emotional well-being may not be as simple as it seems because parents may have different emotional experiences of the EHCP process regardless of their age. Therefore, both the duration of the EHCP process and level of professional support have independent influences that could be important for parents’ emotional well-being. With this study being one of the first in investigating the impact of delays in the EHCP process on parents’ emotional well-being, further research is advantageous. Investigating factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the stressors parents on the EHCP process face could improve this study by adding to the findings and existing knowledge. With delays in the EHCP process rising and concerns of professional support not being provided (Richardson, 2019), effective interventions in addressing delays and ensuring parents are receiving the support during the process is beneficial.

As the current study relates to the EHCP process, the research might benefit all experts involved in the process. In the initial request for an EHCP, evidence is gathered from all experts involved in supporting the child to support the request (e.g. occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, paediatricians). The amount of evidence gathered determines whether or not the child is accepted for an EHCP. Although, gathering more evidence could mean waiting on several experts which may delay putting in an initial request. An initial request is then sent to the local authority, which has a six-week time frame in deciding whether to accept the request. However, parents are often waiting longer than the six-week time frame for confirmation. As more EHCP’s are being issued, more parents are likely to face delays in their EHCP process. With knowledge on this research, experts and local authorities involved in issuing an EHCP would be aware of the emotional impact delays may have on parents and could determine why delays are occurring in the EHCP process so measures can be put in place to ensure that deadlines are met. This research also further emphasises the importance of professionals providing support to parents, outlined in the Children and Families Act (2014) service standards associated with EHCPs for local authorities. The Special education needs and disability accountability framework also provides structure for improving outcomes and experiences of children, young people and their families and is applied at local and national levels. Local authorities may further benefit from this research by creating more frameworks in ensuring policies are being followed and that parents are provided with professional support and access to relevant resources and services during the entire process towards completion of an EHCP. In certain circumstances, delays are likely to happen. Although, this research could help parents be prepared for an emotional experience by looking for ways to prevent their emotional well-being from being affected.