Education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments and plans

Reviewing EHC plans

EHC quality survey

When your child's EHC plan has been finalised, we would welcome your comments on the process and your experiences.

Details of how to provide this feedback can be found in the covering letter that accompanied your finalised EHC plan.

Disagreeing with the content of the EHC plan

Opportunities to amend the EHC plans are made available to parents, carers or young people at the draft stage. We would hope that any disagreements can be resolved at this stage by liaison with the allocated case worker and SEN Officer.

However, parents, young people and carers have the legal right to appeal under specific circumstances.

Find out more about mediation and disagreement resolution arrangements.

EHC annual review process

Education, health and care (EHC) plans should be used to actively monitor children's and young people's progress towards their outcomes and longer-term aspirations.

We must review EHC plans 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.

Gathering of information

The review must be undertaken in partnership with the child and their parent or the young person and must take account of their views, wishes and feelings.

Review the special educational provision made and the impact this has had on access to teaching and learning and progress. This could include the need to obtain additional professional advice or reports.

Review the health and social care provision (if relevant) made and its effectiveness in ensuring good progress towards outcomes. This could include the need to get additional professional advice or report.

Annual review meeting

The meeting convener must give at least two weeks' notice of the date of the meeting to relevant attendees.

These should include:

• the child's parents or the young person
• a representative of the school or institution attended
• a local authority SEN officer
• a health service representative
• a local authority social care representative
• any other individuals relevant to the review

Information gathered in anticipation of the annual review should be issued to all invitees 2 weeks before the review meeting taking place. Anyone unable to attend the meeting can submit a report, or their views, to be considered.

This online form is for children and young people in Year 8 and under only. Please see the Preparing for Adulthood section below for the older students.

Following the review meeting, the school will send a copy of the report to the local authority, parents and all those invited to attend the meeting.

Should schools and settings like to use a template to help them with their planning meetings, please contact [email protected] to request a copy.

Please see the Preparing for Adulthood section below for students in Year 9 or above.

Review and decisions

Within 4 weeks of the review meeting, we must decide whether to: 

• keep the plan as it is
• amend the plan
• cease to maintain the plan 

We will then notify the child's parent or the young person and the educational establishment.

If it is agreed that the plan needs to be amended, we will start this process without delay. 

If we decide not to make the recommended amendments to the plan or to cease the plan, the child's parent or the young person will be given information on:

• their right to appeal
• the time limits for appealing
• the requirements to consider mediation intervention

It should be noted that EHC plans are not expected to be amended on a very frequent basis.

Preparing for adulthood (post-16) reviews

All reviews taking place from year 9 at the latest and onwards must include a focus on preparing for adulthood including employment, independent living and participation in society.

This transition planning must be built into the EHC plan and where relevant should include effective planning for young people moving from children to adult health and care services. 

It is particularly important in these reviews to seek and record the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person.

The review meeting organiser should invite representatives of post-16 institutions, particularly where the young person has expressed a desire to attend a specific institution. Review meetings taking place in year 9 should focus on considering options and choices for the next phase of education.

As the young person is nearing the end of their time in formal education, and the plan is likely to be ceased within the next 12 months, the annual review should consider good exit planning. 

Support, provision and outcomes should be agreed that will ensure the smooth transition to whatever they will be doing next, for example moving to higher education, employment, independent living or adult care.

Elective home education

Reviews where a child or young person does not attend a school or educational institution

Annual reviews for these children and young people are convened and held by a local authority representative. The meetings themselves will be held at a venue agreed with the parent or the young person and the local authority. The process is as described above.

Last updated 13 October 2025