Applying for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Applying for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is often a lengthy

process involving lots of different professionals and it can be a frustrating

experience for parents. Disability and equality charity Scope have lots of

useful information on their website and they also offer letter templates for

parents to use if they need them.

Do I have to have the support of my child’s school to apply for an EHCP?

This topic has been covered in the Q&A section of sendtutoring.co.uk and in

short, no you don’t, however the process may be easier if you do have

support from the school. The first step, if you feel your child needs an

assessment, is to ascertain if the school agrees with you and give reasons

why you feel this way. Scope have a few examples of reasons on their

website, such as ‘not making expected progress’ and ‘not able to take part in

social parts of play and school’. If the school does not support you, you can

apply directly to your local authority (LA). Scope has a letter template you can

use for this.

Will the local authority give my child an assessment if I have asked for one?

Legally, your local authority must assess your child if all the following apply:

• you ask for an assessment

• your child has or may have special educational needs and

• your child may benefit from an EHCP

This is part of the SEND Code of Practice. The LA has 6 weeks to respond to

your request, if they fail to do this you can and should complain.

How long does it take to get an assessment?

Legally an EHC assessment must be done within 20 weeks, which starts

when you request the EHCP. If there is going to be any delay, the LA has to

consult you. If it is decided that your child is not eligible for assessment, you

must be told why and if there are delays to assessment you can ask for an

explanation. You can also contact your Special Educational Needs and

Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) for help.

What happens if the LA decides not to assess my child?

If this happens, you can appeal the decision. There is more information about

this here.

What information should I provide for the assessment?

Collect anything that shows your child is not making the progress that is

expected. This could be a referral to a doctor or speech and language

therapist, letters from health professionals you have consulted or notes from

meetings you have had with teachers.

For further information, check out this fantastic page on the Scope website.

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Excellent caring teachers who work together with parents and students to put together the best supportive plan possible. Would highly recommend. Stephanie Sercombe