What is an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP)?

An Education, Health & Care Plan or EHCP is a document which sets out the education, health and social care needs of a child or young person aged up to 25, and the support that is necessary to help them achieve their outcomes.

Who needs an EHCP?

Most children and young people with special educational needs will receive additional support and help from their school or college, without the need for an EHC Plan. This is called SEN support. If you believe that your child needs this help, or that the help they are getting is not meeting their needs, you should discuss with your child's teacher in the first instance.

EHC plans are for children and young people (age 0-25) who have special educational needs or disabilities that cannot be met by the support that is already available at their school or college. The EHC plan will detail what additional support is required to ensure children meet their outcomes or learning objectives, and will be reviewed each year to ensure that the support in place continues to meet their needs. The EHC plan is a legal document, which requires the organisations named in it to provide the support needed.

How do I get an EHCP?

An EHC plan can only be issued after the local authority's SEND Team has undertaken an EHC needs assessment. This will involve asking people involved in a child's education, health and social care for their opinions, which will be considered along with the views of the parent and child or young person. At the end of that process, the local authority will make a decision on whether it is appropriate to issue an EHC Plan.

What is an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP)?

Should I speak to the school or college first?

Yes, definitely. Speak to your child’s class or subject teacher and the headteacher or to the principal of the College the young person is attending about your worries before requesting an assessment. They will help you to understand how the process works, and their involvement in it.

What if the school or college offers to write on my behalf?

Anyone acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institutions is able to write and request an EHC needs assessment. They are often best placed to make the request as they will need to provide the Local Authority with specific information to support it.

When should I request an EHC needs assessment?

Whenever a child or young person has a learning difficulty or a disability which is holding them back at school or college and the parents of the child or the young person (or the young person themselves) believe that the school or college is not able to provide the help and support which is needed.

For children under 16 the parent makes the request. This includes children from 0 to 5 where parents should make a request if they believe that the child will need extra help when school starts.

In the case of a young person (over 16 and up to 25) they can make the request themselves if they understand it sufficiently well themselves – otherwise the parent can make the request on a young person’s behalf.

Remember you can only ask for an EHC needs assessment if the child or young person has or may have educational needs – it does not apply where there are only health and/or care needs no matter how severe. You can find more information about the support available for health and social care needs via the North Somerset Local Offer

When should I hear back?

The LA must reply within six weeks. They will always reply to you as a parent or young person – even where the request was made by the school or college.