Initial Request Panel
All requests for an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) for a child or young person are considered at a multi-agency Initial Request Panel. The panel meets weekly to consider all new requests and to decide whether to carry out an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), informed by the SEND Code of Practice. The panel members may include representatives from the Local Authority, Health, Social Care and SENDCo’s from local schools. B&NES Local Authority (LA) must communicate the decision not to proceed with an EHCNA as set out in the SEND Code of Practice. Families will receive a phone call and a letter to explain the decision.
When is a Way Forward Meeting offered?
B&NES Local Authority (LA) must communicate the decision not to proceed with an EHCNA as set out in the SEND Code of Practice. Families will receive a phone call and a letter to explain the decision. As part of good practice, a Way Forward Meeting may be offered, by the Local Authority, to families when a decision not to proceed with an EHCNA is made. Families can decide if they would like a meeting, and their decision does not impact a family’s right to go to Mediation and lodge an Appeal with the SENDIST Tribunal. Families have 2 months from the date of the letter where they are informed that the needs assessment request has been declined or one month from the date of mediation.
What is the aim of a Way Forward Meeting?
• To understand why the panel made the decision
• Plan the next steps and provision for the child or young person without an EHCP
• The Way Forward meeting cannot change the decision. The decision to proceed with an EHCNA can only be made at a multi-disciplinary panel. If further current information is available after the meeting, anyone can make a further request for an EHCNA.
Who can attend a Way Forward Meeting?
• parents/carers/family, including the child or young person
• someone from the educational setting (if there is one)
• a facilitator from B&NES SEND teams or a representative for B&NES LA e.g. Brighter Futures
• families can invite a representative from Sendias Bathnes or B&NES Parent Carer Forum to support them
• families can invite any other appropriate representative to support them in the meeting if they wish
Who facilitates a Way Forward Meeting?
Depending on the child or young person’s circumstances the facilitator may be a member of the Statutory SEN team, a practitioner from the SEND and AP Advice service or a SEND practitioner commissioned on behalf of the LA such as Brighter Futures. If the facilitator is not already involved, their role may simply be to chair and record the meeting. It does not mean they will become part of the support provided following the meeting.
What to expect at a Way Forward Meeting
A meeting would typically last between 30 and 60 minutes. Meetings may be virtual or in person in the child or young person's school or setting. The facilitator will remind attendees of the LA decision and ensure everyone understands it. They will invite people in the meeting to contribute any new or changed information that was not included in the original request for an EHCNA. They may also suggest where information was missing but could now be gathered.
The facilitator will ask questions of the group to think about such as, how the child or young person’s needs can be understood and provided for in their setting. The facilitator will share a summary of the meeting and actions once it is completed. This will be stored on the child or young person’s record.