Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

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If progress is not being made or you child’s needs cannot be met with SEN support, a statutory assessment may be requested. This involves a multi-agency assessment of your child’s needs which may result in an EHCP being put in place.

You can watch a short video about EHCPs below

Witherslack Group have a series of bitesize webinars all about Educational Health and Care Plans. They offer advice to parents and carers.

What is an Education Health and Care Plan?

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a single multi-agency plan for children and young people aged 0-25 who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities.

An EHCP will be put in place where a greater level of individual help is needed to ensure that a child/young person makes progress. It will be put in place following an assessment of the child or young person's education, health and care needs (not just educational needs). It is designed to make sure that all the child/young person's needs are assessed and supported at the same time.

The EHC Plan is a statutory legal document. Its preparation is informed by the guidance outlined in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years. This code covers provision for children and young people from birth to 25 years.

Key principles of an EHC Plan are:

• Children, young people and their families are involved from the start
• The identification of children and young people's needs is supported
• There is collaboration between education, health and social care to provide appropriate and planned support
• High quality provision is provided to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN
• There is successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment
• There is greater choice and control for young people and parents over the support offered

The EHC Plan is a working document, which is statutorily reviewed at least once a year and is underpinned by individual Education Plans, Individual Behaviour Plans, Provision Timetables and One Page Profiles. It actively promotes a co-ordinated plan of support for the child or young person and their family. The document should be relevant to the needs of the child or young person and their family. Each stage can be personalised to make it relevant. The involvement of the child/young person and their families is vital in creating this document, they should always be central to the process.

Witherslack Group have some bitesize webinars about Educational Health Care Plans. The webinars on these topics:

• What is an Education, Health and Care Plan?
• How to get an EHCP
• What is a draft EHCP?
• The appeals process
• Top tips
• What help and support is available?

Who can request an EHC Plan?

The following people have a specific right to request a statutory assessment for an EHC Plan:

• The child's parent (or advocate on their behalf)
• The young person over the age of 16 (or advocate on their behalf)
• A person acting on behalf of a school or post 16 institution (this should be with the knowledge and agreement of the child/ young person and their family)

Criteria to request a statutory assessment for an EHCP

A statutory assessment may be requested where a child/young person with SEN requires support that is additional to or different from what is normally delivered within Bands 1 - 3 of the Wakefield Matrix of Provision and SEN Matrix of Descriptors. You can download the SEN Matrix here.

• The parents/young person has already been supported to access services, information/activities outlined in the Local Offer.
• The parents/young person have been consulted and are in agreement with the request being made.
• An educational psychologist has been consulted and has made a formal report contributing to the My Support Plan in the last 3 months, detailing the recommendations made and the resources indicated. The contribution should be in the form of a full report detailing needs and the appropriate provision to meet these identified needs. For children with a sensory impairment, the formal report should be from an Advisory Teacher working within the Wakefield Special Educational Needs Support Service.
• Reports from Paediatric Therapists could also be prepared at this phase.
• If all are in agreement these reports can constitute the statutory advice when a decision to issue an EHC Plan is made, if prepared in the last 3 months.

You can download the Wakefield EHCP documents here:

• EHCP Template - September 2019
• Waves of Intervention Provision template
• Short Term Target Outcomes template
• Child and Family views template

Supporting Evidence required from the Education Setting

• The support provided from the delegated budget and how this has been used, monitored and evaluated.
• Evaluated outcomes that have been agreed with the child/young person
• Evidence of involvement from the Educational Psychology Service (EPS) regarding advice which has been offered and the impact of this on the progress.
• Evidence of involvement from other professionals regarding advice and the impact on progress the Special Educational Needs Support Service (SENSS), The Learning Support Service (LSS) and Behaviour Support Service (BSS).
• Evidence from Health and Social Care where support from these services is necessary to meet the child/young person's SEN/Disability including Paediatric Therapy Services, a CAF and Social Care.

 

The Process

A flow chart of a pathway of support for children, young people and their families can be downloaded here.

Phase 4

Local Authority (Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team (SENART)) receives a formal request for a statutory assessment for an EHC Plan. You can contact the SENART Team by email on SENART@wakefield.gov.uk , by telephone on 01924 302465 or by post at SENART, Block C, Normanton Town Hall, High Street, Normanton, WF6 2DZ.   Wakefield Education, Health and Care Panel (EHC Panel) considers the information and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a statutory assessment. The Local Authority informs all parties of the decision and requests reports if these are not already available as part of the My Support Plan process. A process map and diagram for EHCP assessment can be downloaded here:

• Wakefield Council EHCP Process.docx
• EHCP Process Diagram

Read Wakefield Parent Carer Forum's simple flowchart about the EHCP process.

Next Steps

Once a statutory assessment has been requested the Local Authority will notify:

The child's parents and the young person The Health Service (relevant Clinical Commissioning Group or NHS England) Local Authority officers responsible for social care for children or young people with SEN Where the child attends an early year’s provider, their Head of SEN Where the child attends a school, their Headteacher (or equivalent) Where the young person attends a post-16 institution, their Principal (or equivalent)

 

If Request agreed?

A date for planning meeting to agree a draft EHC Plan is set. The nominated SENART Officer coordinates and chairs the meeting with the Family/child and young person to draft the EHC Plan to be submitted to EHC Panel for agreement and funding agreements

If Request not agreed?

A co-ordinated support continues through My Support Plan

Phase 5

Draft plan submitted to EHC Panel for confirmation of the plan and the resource allocation

Phase 6

An EHC Plan issued

Phase 7

The first review of the EHC Plan must be within 12 months of the initial plan and then every 12 months after that. This can be reduced if necessary. You can download the Wakefield EHCP review documents here:

• Wakefield EHCP Review Template - September 2019
• Wakefield EHCP Annual Review Timeframe

Please note: The timeframe for Phases 4 to 6 is 20 weeks

Support and Advice

If you are having and education health and care plan review, you can contact the Children’s Advocacy and Participation Service (CAPS) provided by Barnardo’s. Complete their Young People's Advocacy Referral Form online or ring them on 01977 552 493.

Wakefield CAPS Young People’s Advocacy referral form | Barnardo's (barnardos.org.uk)

Advocates are people that work out what you want to say and how to say it. They are people that help you put your views forward and give you confidence to speak up for yourself.