Education, Health and Care – Needs Assessment
An EHC needs assessment is a detailed look at the special educational needs (SEN) of a child or young person and the support they may need in order to learn. It is the first step in knowing if a child or young person requires an Education Health Care Plan.
A request for an EHC needs assessment can be made by the school, but a parent can also request for an assessment to be made and young people over the age of 16 can also request an assessment of their needs.
When should a Local Authority (LA) carry out an EHC needs assessment?
If an LA is requested to carry out an EHC needs assessment, They must consider: - whether the child or young person has or may have special educational needs whether they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan
and
- whether they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan
If the answer to both of these questions is yes, they must carry out an EHC needs assessment.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
An EHC Plan is a legal document, written by the Local Authority, which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs (SEN), the support they need and the outcomes they would like to achieve. It is used for children and young people with high support needs. An EHC plan also includes details of any health and care provision that is needed.
Professionals and the family, including the child or young person, together consider what educational outcomes they would like to see and the EHC plan identifies what is needed to achieve those outcomes. The special educational provision described in an EHC plan must be provided by the child or young person’s Local Authority.
The EHC plan does not provide specifically provide any additional funding to families or school and an EHC plan does not mean that a child or young person will need to be given a special school place.
“The purpose of an EHC plan is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood.”
The SEND Code of Practice says that EHC plans should:
- be based on decisions made openly, and with parents, children and young people
- describe what the child or young person can do
- be clear, concise, understandable and accessible
- consider how best to achieve the outcomes for the child or young person. They must take into account the evidence from the EHC needs assessment
- specify clear outcomes
- consider alternative ways of providing support if a parent or young person wishes it. This could include having a Personal Budget
- show how education, health and care provision will be co-ordinated
- be forward looking – for example, anticipating, planning and commissioning for important transition points in a child or young person’s life
- describe how informal support as well as formal support from statutory agencies can help in achieving agreed outcomes
- have a review date
Please click on the image below to watch a video produced by Nottinghamshire County Council regarding EHCP’s.
Transferring from a statement of SEN to an EHC Plan
Nottinghamshire County Council have developed a transfer review schedule to identify which children and young people need to be transferred and when.
The school will:
- Set a date for the transfer review
- Collect information about the child or young person
- Invite relevant people who know the individual
- Hold the transfer review meeting
- Complete the transfer review paperwork
- Submit that to Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire County Council will:
- Write the draft EHC Plan using the paperwork supplied from the school
- Send the draft EHC Plan to the parent carers
- Offer a personal budget or direct payment
- Consider any amendments to the EHC Plan
- Issue the final EHC Plan
Click the following link to download a leaflet: Transfer Review Process