Education, Health and Care plans
The Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is a legal document. It describes:
- a child or young person’s special educational needs
- the provision to meet those needs
- and the suitable educational placement
It replaces statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs). It covers education, health and care services for up to 25 year olds, for those remaining in education.
Who is eligible for an EHC plan?
Children are assessed by a multi-agency group of professionals. They look at education, health, and social care needs. Children who have special educational needs and disabilities qualify for an EHC. An assessment can be requested from birth to age 25.
What does an EHC Plan look like?
You can see a copy of an EHC plan here. Every EHC plan is completed by the local authority. It is personalised to meet the needs and outcomes for each child or young person.
Who can request an EHC plan?
Requests for an EHC plan can be made by:
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the child’s parents (or somebody on their behalf)
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the young person if over the age of 16 (or somebody on their behalf)
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a person acting on behalf of an early years setting, a school, or a post-16 institution. This should be with the knowledge and agreement of the parent or young person.
How does the EHC plan work?
We assess children and young people for special education when we think it may be necessary. This normally happens when a setting cannot reasonably provide the special education needs.
At the start of the assessment the family will have the opportunity give their views. They can say what is working, what is not working, and what they think needs to change. They do this via the All About Me form.
The assessment process lasts for 20 weeks. The EHC plan will be clear about the provision to meet the child's, or young person's, needs. It will have agreed timescales to be updated and reviewed regularly. EHC plans will most likely be reviewed annually.
Will this affect the support that I receive?
The assessment and planning process is designed to focus on agreeing individual outcomes. The support to achieve these will be tailored to each child or young person’s range of needs. It could include helping families get local community support, or access statutory services.
What if I don’t agree with what has been written in the EHC Plan?
There is a mediation service which helps to settle disputes. The mediators are not employed by the local authority and are completely independent.