SEND support in Suffolk: services, advice and practical next steps
Suffolk's SEND Local Offer brings the county's education, health, social care and community information into one place, including EHC plans, activities and preparing for adulthood.
How support is organised in Suffolk
You do not need to know the name of a Suffolk service before using the Local Offer. Begin with the thing your family is trying to solve: difficulty in school, a question about an EHC plan, support at home, an accessible activity or planning for adult life.
If school is the immediate concern, give the teacher or SENCO a few concrete examples and ask what extra or different support will be tried. Agree who is responsible and when you will review it. SEN support is based on need and does not depend on a diagnosis.
Suffolk County Council manages EHC needs assessments and children's social care across the county. The Local Offer explains those routes and lists services, but the council team or provider responsible for each service still makes decisions about access.
Suffolk SENDIASS provides free, confidential and impartial advice about education, health and social care processes. Suffolk Parent Carer Forum has a different job: it gathers what families are experiencing and uses that collective picture to press for better services.
NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICB now plans and commissions services across both counties. Assessment, mental health and therapy services are delivered by particular providers, so a referral should be followed up with the named service rather than with the ICB in general.
The local picture in Suffolk
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 Suffolk
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 16.5% | England: 46.1%29.6 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 Norfolk and Suffolk
NHS Norfolk and Suffolk plans NHS services across Norfolk, Suffolk and Waveney. The March 2026 figures describe recorded suspected-autism referrals across the system, not an individual provider's complete waiting list.
Recorded referrals
6,145
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
90.1%
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%. 0.4 percentage points higher than the England figure.
Share of referrals
1.0%
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%. 2.7 percentage points lower than the England figure.
Share of referrals
90.3%
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%. 7.6 percentage points higher 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 Norfolk and Suffolk began on 1 April 2026, so FamilyFX reconciled the final March Sub-ICB rows to the new statutory footprint. The calculation uses source rows 06L, 07K, 26A. Published counts are rounded, so derived percentages are approximate.
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.
Show the calculation behind each figure
| Measure | Numerator | Denominator | NHS codes | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open suspected-autism referrals | 6,145 | 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 | 5,535 | 6,145 | 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 | 55 | 5,535 | ASD16a + ASD18 | FamilyFX divided ASD18 by ASD16a and rounded the result to one decimal place. Source counts are published rounded values. |
| No first care contact recorded | 5,000 | 5,535 | 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 Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board among the 36 ICBs operating from 1 April 2026. Its footprint covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Waveney.
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 Norfolk and Suffolk.
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 Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care BoardCurrent NHS system and pathway information · checked 14 August 2026
ADHD referral data for NHS Norfolk and Suffolk
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: 21,075
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: 18,980
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: 13,295
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: 13,750
No first contact recorded
Open possible-ADHD referrals without a first care contact in the submitted Mental Health Services Dataset record.
Monthly referrals
Partial: 770
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 covers the former Norfolk and Waveney ICB. Suffolk is omitted because its March 2026 row also includes North East Essex, which moved to a different current ICB and cannot be separated in this file. The displayed figures add the published March 2026 age-band values for predecessor code or codes QMM.
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: 21,075 | 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: 18,980 | 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: 13,295 | 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: 13,750 | 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: 770 | 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
Suffolk County Council
Covers Suffolk
Handles EHC needs assessments and children's social care; its Local Offer lists help across the county.
Visit websiteSuffolk SENDIASS
Covers Suffolk
Helps families and young people understand SEND rights, processes and decisions affecting them.
Visit websiteSuffolk Parent Carer Forum
Covers Suffolk
Gathers families' shared experiences to influence services; it does not advise on individual cases.
Visit websiteNHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
Covers Norfolk and Suffolk
Plans NHS services across both counties; hospitals and community providers deliver the care.
Visit websiteNHS England
Use current NHS guidance for urgent health or mental health help.
Visit websiteServices and local pathways
Suffolk SEND Local Offer
Suffolk County Council
Use it for current contacts, EHC information, activities and support across Suffolk.
Who it is for: Children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEND, and their families, in Suffolk.
How to access it: Choose the section matching the need and check any assessment, referral or eligibility requirements.
Check current detailsSuffolk SENDIASS advice
Suffolk SENDIASS
For impartial help with a decision, meeting, disagreement or SEND process.
Who it is for: Children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEND, and their parents or carers, in Suffolk.
How to access it: Use the current website or contact the service directly with the decision or process you need help understanding.
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
Use the live Local Offer for forms, contacts and criteria. Old downloads and saved links can outlast a change in process, particularly around EHC assessments or access to a service.
Contact Suffolk SENDIASS if you need help understanding a decision or preparing for a meeting. Bring the relevant letter or plan and a short account of what has happened so far. This keeps the conversation anchored to the issue you need to resolve.
For a health referral, ask the GP, school or other referrer to confirm which provider received it. While you wait, keep school conversations focused on the support your child needs there; educational help should not be postponed until a clinical assessment is complete.
Related FamilyFX help
Do you support SEND families in Suffolk?
If you are part of a charity, parent group, advice service, inclusive activity or another organisation supporting SEND families in Suffolk, 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.
- NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board, checked 14 August 2026
- NHS: when to use 111, checked 14 August 2026
- Suffolk Parent Carer Forum, checked 14 August 2026
- Suffolk SEND Local Offer, checked 14 August 2026
- Suffolk SENDIASS, checked 14 August 2026