Use this page to find out how to ask for an EHC needs assessment, how we make a decision and what happens next.
If your child is getting help in education through SEND support and isn't making progress, you can ask us to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.
An EHC needs assessment may result in an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan (or EHCP). When it does not, the information gathered can be used to inform SEN support provided by the early years setting/school/college.
Who can ask for a needs assessment
A needs assessment can be requested by any of the following:
Early years settings, schools and colleges (with the knowledge of the parents or young person)
The child’s parent or legal guardian
The young person if they are over the age of 16 but under the age of 25
Foster parents
Health or social care professionals
Early years settings, schools or colleges will need to provide evidence of actions they have already taken and reviewed over time, for at least six months.
Needs assessment step-by-step guide
Use our step-by-step guide to find out how to ask for an EHC needs assessment and the steps in the process.
Once you have submitted a needs assessment request, you will be told within 6 weeks if an EHC needs assessment will be carried out.
If it has been agreed that an EHC Needs Assessment will not be carried out, you can meet with a Senior Inclusion Officer who can explain the decision. You can also make an appeal about this decision.
If we agree to carry out the EHC Needs Assessment, a SEND Practitioner will arrange a face-to-face meeting with the parents/carers and young people to explain the process in more depth.
What happens during the needs assessment
As part of the needs assessment, we will ask any professionals who have been involved with your child's education, health and social care needs about your child. This will include information about:
your child’s education, health and care needs
the desired outcomes for your child
the special educational, health and care provision that might be required to meet their needs and achieve the desired outcomes.
What happens next
Parents or carers will be notified within 16 weeks whether or not a Draft EHC plan will be issued.
If it has been agreed that an EHC plan has not been issued, you can meet with a Senior Inclusion Officer who can explain the decision. A SEND Support plan (non-statutory) will be issued instead of an EHC plan. You can appeal this decision.
If an EHC Plan is agreed, we will issue a Draft EHC plan. There is a 15-day period when you can respond to the draft plan. You can discuss a personal budget at this stage.
During this draft stage, you can request changes to the plan. This helps to make sure that the plan reflects your child or young person’s individual special educational needs and the provision needed to support them.
After you have agreed the draft EHC plan with us, we will consult with your preferred schools or colleges regarding a placement. This could be a mainstream education setting or a specialist provision.
We will send the educational setting(s) a copy of the EHC Plan to see whether they can meet the needs in it.
Once this has been agreed, a final EHC plan with a named educational setting(s) will be issued.
