Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) - WNC

West EHC Team Contact Details:

• Tel: 01604 526115 (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm)
• Assessment Queries: [email protected]
• Post Assessment Queries: [email protected]

What is an EHC Plan?

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document for children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It outlines:

• their educational, health, and social care needs
• the support they require
• how this support should be provided in school or other settings

West Northamptonshire Council's EHCP webpages explain the process in more detail. They include information about:

• What an EHCP Is and How the Process Works

• How Families Can Request a Statutory Assessment (RSA) Online

• How Schools and Education Settings Can Request a Statutory Assessment (RSA) Online

• How Families Can Stay Informed by Using the Children and Families Support Gateway

• How Personal Budgets for EHCPs Work

• How Annual Reviews of EHCPs Work

• Education Otherwise Than in School/College (EOTIS)

• Mediation and Disagreement Resolution

• School admissions for children with an EHCP

• How to contact Education, Health and Care (EHC) Team

Relevant Legislation

• Children and Families Act 2014 (Part 3): This is the primary legislation governing EHC plans, setting out the duties of local authorities to identify, assess, and provide for children with SEND.
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014: These regulations provide the detailed legal framework for how EHCPs are developed and managed.
• SEND Code of Practice 2015: Statutory guidance that organisations must follow when carrying out duties to children and young people with SEND. ​

The Assessment Process

The EHC assessment process has 5 stages and takes a maximum of 20 weeks.

1. Needs Assessment (Weeks 1-6)
2. Information Gathering (Weeks 6-12)
3. Decision on an EHC Plan (Week 12)
4. Draft EHC Plan (Weeks 12-16)
5. Final EHC Plan (Week 20)

If WNC Decides Not to Assess

If WNC decides not to assess, they will write and explain why. They will offer a telephone call or meeting to discuss this decision. They will include in the letter the information that was used to make the decision, such as feedback from professionals.

You have a right to appeal the decision. Please see Mediation and Disagreement Resolution for more information.

If You Disagree with the Content of the EHCP

Opportunities to amend the EHCP are available to parents, carers, or young people at the draft stage (Stage 4). WNC hopes that any disagreements will be resolved at that stage through conversations with your EHC Caseworker.

However, you have a right to appeal the content of the EHCP under specific circumstances. Please see Mediation and Disagreement Resolution for more information.

Personal Budgets

A Personal Budget is money set aside by WNC to pay for support described in an EHCP. They're used when parents, carers, or young people help arrange the support.

Any requests for a Personal Budget must be discussed with the SEN Officer at the draft stage (stage 4) of the EHCP process.

Personal Budgets are optional and must be agreed with WNC and the education provider.

• WNC: Personal Budgets Policy (Updated 2021)

Annual Reviews

EHCPs should be used to actively monitor children's and young people's progress towards their outcomes and longer-term aspirations.

WNC must review EHCPs a minimum of every 12 months. These reviews must focus on the child and young person's progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in their plan. The review must also consider whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate.

Annual Review meetings normally take place in education settings. 

Resources:

Annual Reviews

• WNC EHC Team - Annual Review Process: A Guide for Post-16 Settings
• WNC EHC Team - Annual Review Process: A Guide for Early Years settings and Schools

West Northamptonshire's EHC Plan Process

• WNC EHC Team - At a Glance: The EHC Process

West Northamptonshire SEND Panels

• WNC EHC Team - Terms of Reference for the EHC SEND Panel

One Page Profiles and the Voice of the Child

• WNC EHC Team - One-Page Profiles, EHC Assessments, and EHC Plans
• WNC EHC Team - The Voice of the Child in RSAs: Guidance for Schools