About (EHCPs)
Understanding the role of an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP).
This section aims to explain the role of EHCPs so that parents and carers know what to expect from this legal document and understand how it can support their child.
Education Health & Care Plans (EHCPs)
The Education, Health and Care needs assessment may result in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan being issued. The plan says what kind of support that child or young person needs, and how that support will be provided.
It is a legal document that lays out the child's specific needs, as each child and young person is different. The plan will say where the child will receive their education, and what extra support they will receive to help them learn. The plan will also list any health and social care that can be provided to help with their SEND.
For further information, see the video below from the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) explaining EHC plans.
For further information, see this video from the National Deaf Children's Society about EHC plans (with BSL).
Annual review of EHC Plans
If a learner has an EHC plan, it must be reviewed at least once every 12 months. The review will involve working with parents/carers and learners child and asking their views on what is working well and what is not working so well. It will focus on how well the support is working to help the child move towards the outcomes stated in their plan.
A meeting will be held by the school/setting and everyone involved with providing support will be invited, along with child or young person and their parent/carer. It should look at any changes that need to be recommended. A record of the meeting must be sent to the SEND team within two weeks of the meeting.
A decision must be made whether to keep the plan as it is, make changes, or stop the plan within four weeks of the review meeting.
For further information, see this video from the Council for Disabled Children.
Work-based training options
If you have an EHCP and are looking for training options post 16, a Supported Internship is one type of study programme specifically aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and want to move into employment but need extra support to do so.
Supported internships help young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to gain skills through learning in the workplace to achieve sustainable, paid employment.
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Click here to find out more about Supported Internships in Northumberland.
Requesting an Education Health Care Needs Assessment
Parents, carers and learners themselves can ask us to carry out an assessment if they think an EHC plan might be needed. However, because evidence will need to be provided by the school or setting about the learners’ needs and what is in place for them already, it is more usual for schools (in consultation with parents/carers/learner) to make the request.
A request can be made by:
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anyone at your child’s school or college
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a doctor
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a health visitor
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a nursery worker
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a young person over the age of 16, subject to the Mental Capacity Act.
The request forms asks for information about what difficulties the child or young person is experiencing, how school is supporting them currently, and the impact of the support. It must include supporting evidence including parent/carer views and learner views.
If a parent, carer or learner is requesting an assessment themselves, these requests should be put in writing and sent directly to the local authority SEN Monitoring and Assessment Team at County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF.
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About EHCPs