Applying for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Applying for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is often a lengthy process involving lots of different professionals and it can be a frustrating experience for parents. Disability and equality charity Scope have lots of useful information on their website and they also offer letter templates for parents to use if they need them.

Do I have to have the support of my child’s school to apply for an EHCP?

This topic has been covered in the Q&A section of sendtutoring.co.uk and in short, no you don’t, however the process may be easier if you do have support from the school. The first step, if you feel your child needs an assessment, is to ascertain if the school agrees with you and give reasons why you feel this way. Scope have a few examples of reasons on their website, such as ‘not making expected progress’ and ‘not able to take part in social parts of play and school’. If the school does not support you, you can apply directly to your local authority (LA). Scope has a letter template you can use for this.

Will the local authority give my child an assessment if I have asked for one?

Legally, your local authority must assess your child if all the following apply:

• you ask for an assessment
• your child has or may have special educational needs and
• your child may benefit from an EHCP
• This is part of the SEND Code of Practice. The LA has 6 weeks to respond to your request, if they fail to do this you can and should complain.

How long does it take to get an assessment?

Legally an EHC assessment must be done within 20 weeks, which starts when you request the EHCP. If there is going to be any delay, the LA has to consult you. If it is decided that your child is not eligible for assessment, you must be told why and if there are delays to assessment you can ask for an explanation. You can also contact your Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) for help.

What happens if the LA decides not to assess my child?

If this happens, you can appeal the decision. There is more information about this here.

What information should I provide for the assessment?

Collect anything that shows your child is not making the progress that is expected. This could be a referral to a doctor or speech and language therapist, letters from health professionals you have consulted or notes from meetings you have had with teachers.

For further information, check out this fantastic page on the Scope website.

Looking for personalised support to help your child succeed? Meet Marcia, she assesses and treats children of all ages and abilities who have difficulties with speech, language, and communication and the skills that are needed for this to happen such as attention, listening and interaction. Learn more about Beth and how she can make a difference in your child’s education journey.

Ione Inness
Ione is the Director at SEND Tutoring and has over 20 years’ experience working with children and young people. In the last 10 years she has worked with children of varying different needs, including: Autism, Pathological demand avoidance (PDA), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Attention deficit disorder (/ADD), Social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Speech and language delays or difficulties, Cerebral palsy, Nonverbal, speech/communication delays, Challenging behaviour, Profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), Anxiety, Cognition difficulties, Learning difficulties.

If you’re looking for support for a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability, book a free call with us today and find out how we can help.