What is an EHCP?
The majority of children with special educational needs and disabilities will have their needs met within educational settings without requiring an EHCP. Needs can be met through reasonable adjustments (Equality Act 2010), school based interventions or with additional advice from external agencies. Information about what schools can provide can be found on the Graduated Approach pages.
Some children do not make the progress expected over time, even with support from their educational setting, you might consider requesting an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) needs assessment.
The EHCP needs assessment is a statutory process. The Children's and Families Act (2014) sets out the legal timeframes and processes. These can also be found in the SEND code of practice (2015) which may be more accessible.
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It outlines the child's and young person's educational, health, and social care needs, and the support required to help them achieve their potential and important life outcomes.
The education, health and care needs assessment will explore whether identified needs are greater than an educational setting can provide from usual resources and reasonable adjustments.
An Education, Health and Care needs assessment will not always lead to an EHCP.
If a decision is made not to issue an EHCP the parent and educational setting will receive written feedback detailing the recommended support required from the EHCP needs assessment. If an EHCP is issued the plan will include the following:
- the views, interests and aspirations of the children and young people and their parent/carer
- an outline of the child or young person’s special educational needs
- an outline of the child or young person’s health and social care needs
- outcomes covering education, health and social care
- the special educational provision to support identified needs
- the health and social care provision to support identified needs
- the name and type of current education setting
- resource attached to the plan
- personal budget information if applicable
There is a statutory requirement for an EHCP needs assessment to be completed within 20 weeks.
If you would like more information about this process please contact the EHCP team on 0121 779 1779.
Advice, Information and Support for parents/carers and young people
Solihull SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support) are here to support children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers.
Our aim is to enable children and young people and their parents/carers to make informed decisions about their child’s education. Information, advice and support for children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers will be impartial. The service is free to access, confidential and provides accurate, comprehensive, understandable information.
On these pages, the term parent carer refers to people with parental responsibilities and the term young person refers to someone who is over the age of 16.
Educational (or education) setting refers to an:
- early years setting
- infant school
- junior school
- primary school
- secondary school
- special school
- or any post-16 provision