As a parent caring for a child with additional needs, you want your child to thrive at every stage of their education. In order to access every opportunity to do that, your child may require extra support beyond what might already be available to them, which is where an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) can come in.
An EHCP is a legal document that outlines a child’s special education, health and social care needs. It is highly personalised to your child and is created following an EHCP assessment which is carried out by the local authority. Once created it will include details of provisions that should be in place to ensure your child have the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.
The EHCP will include sections on the views, interests and aspirations of you and your child, their special educational needs (SEN) and the relevant provision required. It is important to note here that whilst an EHCP will also include your child’s health and social care needs and the provision required to fulfil those, your child will only qualify for an EHC plan if those health and social care needs directly impact your child’s education.
Applying for an EHC plan for a child with additional needs
When applying for an EHCP, the first step is to request an assessment from the local authority. Whilst many EHCPs are requested through the child’s school, a request can be made by any relevant person, including:
- Doctors, health professionals.
- Teacher or SENCO.
- A family member, friend or carer.
When requesting an assessment, the local authority may ask for information about your child’s needs such as reports from the child’s school, doctors’ letters about the child’s medical needs and any information you are able to share about their challenges at home.
If your application is successful, you will receive the proposed document and have 15 days from the date it is sent to request any amendments. As the EHCP is a legal document, it is important that it accurately reflects your child’s needs and clearly outlines the support they most need to thrive, so this is the time to make any changes you feel are necessary.
An EHC plan is created by you and your child working in collaboration with their teachers, their healthcare professionals, and the local authority to ensure all your child’s needs are addressed from every angle. An EHCP is reviewed at least once a year, and this gives the opportunity to request changes or amendments as your child’s needs change.
As a legally binding document, an EHCP imposes a duty on the local authority and health and social care services to provide specific outlined support to meet your child’s educational needs, and you and your child have a right to expect this.
For example, if a particular school is named in an EHCP, the local authority has a duty to grant your child a place in that school. The local authority must also prepare a personal budget for your child, and this can be received via direct payments by you as a family member and carer. Check our article on Personal Budgets and Direct Payments for more information on this.
If you feel the EHCP provision is not meeting the support needs of your child and you have requested a review with the local authority team, you are entitled to complain to your local council or ombudsman.
Accessing support for a child who does not have an EHC plan
Having gone through the process required to qualify for an EHCP, it can be frustrating if you are told that your child doesn’t meet the assessment criteria. In this case, there are a number of other paths you might take to ensure your child receives the support they need. One route can be to request the school create an Individual Education Plan (IEP) containing specific Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision for your child.
You may also have the option to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST), a process that can normally take up to 20 weeks to be completed but can sometimes result in an alternative outcome.
If you’re wondering if your child might benefit from an EHCP, an IEP or extra SEN support, you might also find our article Introduction to Special Educational Needs useful.