SEND support in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove
East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council have separate Local Offers and EHC processes. Health planning crosses both areas, but council requests do not.
How support is organised in East Sussex
A Brighton or Hove address uses a different council SEND system from an address elsewhere in East Sussex. Checking that boundary at the start prevents a request being sent to an official service that cannot act on it.
If school is the immediate problem, do not wait for every part of the wider system to become clear. Ask what support can be put in place in the setting now.
The East Sussex Local Offer serves the county council area, including towns such as Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes and Uckfield. Brighton & Hove City Council publishes its own SEND information for families living within the city boundary. Each authority manages its own EHC needs assessments and children’s social care routes.
Free impartial advice is available through the IASS service attached to each council area. NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB, formed in April 2026, plans services across a much larger footprint that includes Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove. A local trust or community team will usually be the right place to follow up an individual referral.
The local picture in East Sussex
This section maps the current health bodies serving this area and, where a comparable official measure is available, presents it alongside the national figure. It is not a rating of the area or the quality of an individual service.
Health
NHS commissioning for East Sussex
Integrated care boards, usually shortened to ICBs, plan and pay for many NHS services in England. They do not necessarily deliver an assessment or treatment themselves, and some pathways work across more than one area.
education
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
The percentage of new EHC plans issued within the statutory 20-week period during 2025, excluding cases where permitted exceptions applied.
| Council | Local figure | England comparison | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton and Hove | 57.4% | England: 46.1%11.3 percentage points above the England figure | 2025 calendar year |
| East Sussex | 43.1% | England: 46.1%3.0 percentage points below the England figure | 2025 calendar year |
How to read this indicator
The Department for Education calculates this measure from the mandatory SEN2 return. FamilyFX presents each responsible council separately and compares its published percentage with the England figure for the same period and definition.
Timeliness describes one part of the EHC plan process. It does not show the quality of a plan, whether support was suitable or what an individual family experienced. A high percentage can also be based on a relatively small number of plans.
Source: Department for Education, checked 14 August 2026. Update frequency: annual.
Autism referral data for NHS Surrey and Sussex
NHS Surrey and Sussex plans NHS services across Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The March 2026 figures describe recorded suspected-autism referrals across the system, not an individual provider's complete waiting list. The current ICB includes part of the former Frimley footprint, but the March publication does not divide the former Frimley row between its successor ICBs. The figures exclude that unallocable row.
Recorded referrals
6,000
Open suspected-autism referrals
People whose suspected-autism referral was recorded as open at some point in March 2026.
A count shows scale, not comparative performance.
Share of referrals
92.2%
Open for at least 13 weeks
The share of recorded open suspected-autism referrals that had been open for 13 weeks or longer.
England: 89.7%. 2.5 percentage points higher than the England figure.
Share of referrals
At least 1.1%
First contact within 13 weeks
Among referrals open for at least 13 weeks, the share with a first attended care contact recorded within 13 weeks of referral.
England: 3.7%. This is a lower bound because one or more small source cells were suppressed.
Share of referrals
80.7%
No first care contact recorded
Among referrals open for at least 13 weeks, the share without a first care contact recorded in the dataset.
England: 82.7%. 2.0 percentage points lower than the England figure.
What these figures mean
A system signal, not a waiting-time promise
The NHS England measures follow suspected-autism referrals from the referral date to the first attended care contact recorded in the Mental Health Services Dataset. FamilyFX preserves the published counts, shows the numerator and denominator behind each derived percentage, and compares only measures with the same definition and reporting month.
NHS Surrey and Sussex began on 1 April 2026, so FamilyFX reconciled the final March Sub-ICB rows to the new statutory footprint. The calculation uses source rows 09D, 70F, 92A, 97R. Published counts are rounded, so derived percentages are approximate. The current ICB includes part of the former Frimley footprint, but the March publication does not divide the former Frimley row between its successor ICBs. The figures exclude that unallocable row.
Important limitation
This dataset is incomplete by design
These are official statistics in development, not a complete autism waiting list. Most child autism assessments take place in community paediatric services whose activity cannot yet be identified in the Community Services Dataset. March 2026 data from Psychiatry UK was incomplete, and a missing care-contact date can mean a contact was not submitted, the person was still waiting, or the referral closed without a first appointment. The figures should not be used to rate an ICB or predict an individual wait. The current ICB includes part of the former Frimley footprint, but the March publication does not divide the former Frimley row between its successor ICBs. The figures exclude that unallocable row.
Show the calculation behind each figure
| Measure | Numerator | Denominator | NHS codes | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open suspected-autism referrals | 6,000 | Not applicable | ASD16 | The published count is retained without a population comparison because it describes system scale, not comparative performance. |
| Open for at least 13 weeks | 5,530 | 6,000 | ASD16 + ASD16a | FamilyFX divided ASD16a by ASD16 and rounded the result to one decimal place. Source counts are published rounded values. |
| First contact within 13 weeks | 60 | 5,530 | ASD16a + ASD18 | FamilyFX divided ASD18 by ASD16a and rounded the result to one decimal place. Source counts are published rounded values. Suppressed source cells were excluded, so this is a lower bound. |
| No first care contact recorded | 4,465 | 5,530 | ASD16a + ASD18b | FamilyFX divided ASD18b by ASD16a and rounded the result to one decimal place. A missing contact is not the same as a confirmed wait. |
What has changed, and what it means for families
A new statutory footprint from April 2026
NHS England lists NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board among the 36 ICBs operating from 1 April 2026. Its footprint covers Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Why this matters: The ICB is responsible for planning and commissioning across this wider system. The provider named on a referral remains the practical contact for an individual appointment or waiting-list query.
Read the source from NHS EnglandNHS commissioning and statutory boundaries · published 1 April 2026 · checked 14 August 2026
Where current system information is published
NHS England identifies the ICB website as the current system-level source for NHS Surrey and Sussex.
Why this matters: Use the ICB site for current commissioning, policy and pathway information. For a personal referral update, use the hospital, community service or assessment provider named in the referral correspondence.
Read the source from NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardCurrent NHS system and pathway information · checked 14 August 2026
ADHD referral data for NHS Surrey and Sussex
NHS England now publishes ICB-level management information about referrals that may relate to ADHD assessment. These figures add useful scale and waiting-band context, but they are not a confirmed ADHD waiting list.
Read this first
These are referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment. They are not confirmed diagnoses and should not be read as an exact local ADHD waiting list.
Open referrals
Partial: 53,375
Possible ADHD referrals still open
Open mental-health referrals recorded under neurodevelopmental conditions excluding autism, including referrals that have already had a first contact.
Open referrals
Partial: 48,775
Open for more than 13 weeks
Possible ADHD referrals recorded in the three published bands above 13 weeks. This describes referral age, not a promised assessment date.
Open referrals
Partial: 37,225
Open for more than 52 weeks
Possible ADHD referrals recorded in the 52-to-104-week and 104-weeks-or-more bands.
Open referrals
Partial: 38,715
No first contact recorded
Open possible-ADHD referrals without a first care contact in the submitted Mental Health Services Dataset record.
Monthly referrals
Partial: 1,700
New possible referrals in March
Possible ADHD referrals newly recorded during March 2026. It is a monthly flow measure rather than a waiting-list total.
Possible open referrals by recorded age
Each bar uses ADHD003 for the same reporting month. Bar lengths compare age groups within this displayed footprint only.
People aged 0 to 4
People aged 5 to 17
People aged 18 to 24
People aged 25+
Age not recorded in the source row
How the figures were built
A traceable system signal
Measures ADHD003 to ADHD007 come from the Mental Health Services Dataset. NHS England identifies referrals whose primary reason is recorded as neurodevelopmental conditions excluding autism, then publishes their status and time bands by age. FamilyFX keeps the official definitions, source codes and reporting month visible and does not combine the figures into a score or rank.
The displayed subtotal combines the former Surrey Heartlands and Sussex ICBs. The relevant part of the former Frimley ICB is omitted because NHS England does not divide that March 2026 row between its successor ICBs. The displayed figures add the published March 2026 age-band values for predecessor code or codes QXU + QNX.
Important limitation
The publication is still developing
The referral category can include conditions other than ADHD, while some ADHD pathways, Right to Choose providers and independent providers do not submit complete data. An open referral may also remain open after assessment because medication reviews or continuing care are still managed by the provider. The figures therefore cannot give an exact ADHD waiting list, a diagnosis count or an individual waiting-time estimate.
Show the NHS measures behind these figures
| Measure | Displayed value | NHS codes | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possible ADHD referrals still open | Partial: 53,375 | ADHD003 | This is a lower-bound subtotal. Small source cells may be suppressed, or a 2026 boundary change may prevent part of the current footprint being separated from a predecessor ICB row. |
| Open for more than 13 weeks | Partial: 48,775 | ADHD003b + ADHD003c + ADHD003d | This is a lower-bound subtotal. Small source cells may be suppressed, or a 2026 boundary change may prevent part of the current footprint being separated from a predecessor ICB row. |
| Open for more than 52 weeks | Partial: 37,225 | ADHD003c + ADHD003d | This is a lower-bound subtotal. Small source cells may be suppressed, or a 2026 boundary change may prevent part of the current footprint being separated from a predecessor ICB row. |
| No first contact recorded | Partial: 38,715 | ADHD004 | This is a lower-bound subtotal. Small source cells may be suppressed, or a 2026 boundary change may prevent part of the current footprint being separated from a predecessor ICB row. |
| New possible referrals in March | Partial: 1,700 | ADHD007 | This is a lower-bound subtotal. Small source cells may be suppressed, or a 2026 boundary change may prevent part of the current footprint being separated from a predecessor ICB row. |
Urgent help
Urgent health and mental health help in England
Use NHS 111 when you need urgent help but it is not a life-threatening emergency. Call 999 in an emergency.
Visit Urgent health and mental health help in EnglandLocal organisations and advice
East Sussex County Council
Covers East Sussex County Council area
Use outside Brighton and Hove.
Visit websiteBrighton & Hove City Council
Covers Brighton and Hove
Use for a Brighton or Hove home address.
Visit websiteNHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
Covers East Sussex and wider Surrey and Sussex
Local providers deliver individual care.
Visit websiteInformation, Advice and Support Services Network
Find the free, impartial SEND advice service for your council area.
Visit websiteNHS England
Use NHS guidance for urgent help; call 999 in an emergency.
Visit websiteServices and local pathways
SEN support and EHC plan guidance
Department for Education SEND guidance
Official English guidance on SEN support and EHC plans.
Who it is for: Children and young people in England who have or may have special educational needs.
How to access it: Begin with the education setting. Use the council route for an EHC needs assessment or Local Offer information.
Check current detailsFind your local SEND information, advice and support service
Information, Advice and Support Services Network
Find the impartial advice service for your home council.
Who it is for: Children and young people with SEND and their parents or carers in England.
How to access it: Choose your local authority in the Council for Disabled Children directory and contact the listed service directly.
Check current detailsADHD assessment choices in England
If a GP is making an elective referral for an ADHD assessment in England, you may have a legal right to choose a clinically appropriate provider that holds a qualifying NHS Standard Contract. The referrer still decides whether the referral and provider are clinically appropriate, and the rules do not apply in every situation.
NHS England explains the underlying patient-choice rules. ADHD UK also publishes an ICB finder with local information gathered about ADHD assessment routes and waiting times. Its information is independent of the NHS, so check the current position with your GP and the relevant NHS organisation before relying on it for a referral.
Practical next steps
Confirm whether your address falls under East Sussex County Council or Brighton & Hove before downloading a form. Use that authority’s Local Offer for EHC plans, social care, short breaks, transport and local activities.
After speaking to school, send a brief note confirming the need discussed, what staff will try and the review date. This gives everyone a shared record without creating unnecessary paperwork.
For health, keep the referral date, provider name and any acknowledgement together. Ask the referrer if you have not been told which service received the referral.
Related FamilyFX help
Do you support SEND families in East Sussex?
If you are part of a charity, parent group, advice service, inclusive activity or another organisation supporting SEND families in East Sussex, we would like to hear from you. Send us your website, the area you cover, who the service is for and how families can get in touch. We check submissions before deciding whether to add them.
Send us your detailsSources and checking dates
Local services change. We check the sources below and review any substantive change before altering the page.
- Brighton and Hove City Council, checked 14 August 2026
- Council for Disabled Children: find your local IAS service, checked 13 August 2026
- East Sussex Local Offer, checked 14 August 2026
- GOV.UK: special educational needs support, checked 14 August 2026
- NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB, checked 14 August 2026
- NHS: when to use 111, checked 14 August 2026