What is an EHCP?
EHCP stands for Education, Health and Care plan. It is a plan for children and young adults
who need more support than the initial internal school provision. An EHCP lasts until they
are 25 years old. Young people can apply for an assessment themselves if they are between
the ages of 16 and 25 years.
This is a legally binding document that outlines the child or teenager’s educational, health
and social care needs. The document must provide the provision that meets each of the
child’s needs. The provision must be detailed, specific and achievable. The plan will name
the school/setting that will provide the provision, and this is legally enforceable. The Local
Authority will look at the needs of your family and you do not necessarily need a diagnosis.
Who Qualifies for an EHCP?
By law all mainstream nurseries and schools must provide some support for special
educational needs. For your child to get an EHCP you must show that:
- Their additional needs are holding them back in their educational setting;
- And that the educational setting is unable to provide enough support to meet those needs without additional help.
A school will not always need an EHCP plan to give your child the support they need. If your child’s needs are met with an internal Individual Education Plan, you may not need an EHCP.
What is the Process for Getting an EHCP?
Any parent can request an EHC assessment, but this can also be requested by a Doctor, Health Visitor, or a school staff member. Here are some useful steps:
Evidence
Step 1
Dig out any reports and tests your child has done over the years; some examples are School Reports, Test results, and any referrals to Pediatricians,
Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language therapists etc. Build of file with all
your evidence in chronological order. You will need to prove that your child needs the help you say they do.
Diagnosis
Step 3
A proper diagnosis will help convince you LEA with a child that they have received a request for. Especially if it is an unseen condition such as dyslexia, ASD or
dyscalculia. You need to be able to prove that this is not just your opinion, so take your child to a GP and ask for a referral to a pediatrician. A firm medical diagnosis is hard to ignore.
Research
Step 2
Participate in workshops and interactive sessions to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. Gain hands-on experience and practical knowledge.
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Do you need to hire a specialist such as an independent
Educational Psychologist or a SEND lawyer?
Application
Step 4
Once you have all the information you need, complete you application and send your submission to your LEA. Write as much as you can that is relevant to your case. Often if you are working in conjunction with
your child’s school, they will support you with filling in the relevant documentation
and attaching all the necessary evidence to you application.
What happens after I have applied for an EHCP Assessment?
1-6 Weeks - The LEA will process your application. You will receive a letter from the LEA with a decision about your request. If they decline, they will explain why. You can then either accept the decision or appeal it. You can also request a meeting with an LEA officer. Find out here what to do if you want to appeal against their decision.
6-12 Weeks - If the submission is approved, you have 6 weeks to provide any further evidence or information that the LEA requests. This time scale is a legal requirement. If the information is received, the LEA must reach a decision by Week 12.
13 – 16 Weeks - By week 12 the LEA has decided to issue an EHC plan. The draft version must be issued by Week 14. A copy will be sent to the parents and any other professionals involved. One the draft has been issued the parents and school have 15 days in which to respond, and to name the setting which will be meeting the needs set out in the EHCP draft. By Week 12, if the decision was not to issue a draft EHCP then the parents must be informed and given the right to appeal by week 16.
17- 20 Weeks - Between Week 17 and 20, the LEA should ussie the final EHCP. The 20 week deadline is legal deadline and any extension beyond this deadline is limited to specific exceptions.