An Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) isn’t always appropriate for a child or young person - most can have their needs met in schools and settings using inclusive practices and ordinarily available provision. Schools and settings receive funding to meet the SEND needs of children without an EHCP - this support can be put in place very quickly.

It may be useful to speak to the SENDCo at your child’s school and ask:

  • what's been done and what support is already in place?
  • are there services or professionals that could offer further support?
  • have different approaches been tried and reviewed?
  • has the school or educational setting followed an assess-plan-do-review cycle and do they have evidence that the graduated approach has been followed in terms of SEND provision?

For a small number of children, the support the SENDCo, setting, and other professionals put in place may not fully meet their needs and they may need extra help. We might need to consider whether that help and support needs to be provided through an EHCP. 

An EHCP can help:

  • share the views, wishes and goals of you and your child
  • collect up to date advice on your child's needs from different professionals
  • bring together professionals, who know your child best, to plan coordinated support
  • identify meaningful outcomes that will make a real difference to your child’s development
  • define the support required to help your child achieve those outcomes

An EHCP is not:

  • a guarantee of full time or one to one teaching assistant support
  • needed because a child has a specific diagnosis
  • a guarantee of a place in a special school
  • the only way for a child to receive support or have their needs met
  • automatically in place or appropriate up to the age of 25

The information in this section mainly focuses on school age children - although most will still be relevant for all SEND children and young people, we also have more specific information for SEND for early years (0 to 5 years) and SEND for young people (16 to 25 years).

What is an EHCP and how does it work? 

An EHCP is for children and young people whose needs require more personalised support through a person-centred plan. The extra support will mean that, for most learners, their needs can be met in their current school or setting.

An EHCP describes your child or young person's special educational, health and care needs. It sets outcomes that will help your child learn and prepare for the next stage of their education and adulthood, such as:

  • skills and abilities you'd like the child or young person to have
  • employment or higher education
  • independent living
  • good health
  • joining in with the community

Extra support for your child to achieve their outcomes, could mean things like:

  • equipment or resources
  • extra training for staff
  • accessing specialist services and advice
  • accessing particular activities
  • a level of teaching assistant support
  • a combination of different options

The EHCP is flexible and changes as your child grows. The school or setting normally decides the best way to allocate this support, but they do this in discussion with other professionals, parents and learners. 

It can also describe support from health or social care, if they're involved. It also shows what friends, family and others in the community will do to help. 

The plans are legal documents that belong to the child or young person. They can start from birth and could continue into further education and training, so from the age of 0 to 25 years. They are reviewed every year so that they can adapt to your child's needs as they develop. 

Find out more about the EHCP in this short video:

 

What is a ‘person-centred plan’?

We aim to put your child at the centre of the review of their education, health and care plan (EHCP) by taking a person-centred approach.

It’s important for young people with SEND to be supported to have influence over the decisions that affect them. We can help your child play an active part in planning for their future. We do this by placing them at the centre of:

  • the review meeting
  • the planning
  • any decisions that affect them

Person-centred planning (sometimes called PCP) aims to:

  • put the child or young person and their family at the heart of the process
  • highlight the child or young person's strengths and interests
  • take a 'tell us once' approach to families sharing information with control of what's shared
  • listen and respond to the importance of their views, wishes and aspirations
  • focus on what outcomes (goals) families and young people are seeking for their futures
  • collaboratively plan the support needed to achieve the goals
  • bring services and professionals together to discuss and agree an overall approach for EHCP's
  • give children and young people and their families better choice and control over their futures

What does an EHCP look like? 

Your EHCP should be based around you, your needs and wishes. Every EHCP is different, but some examples, where the primary need is:

  • a physical disability
  • Autism

What is the process and timescales for getting an EHCP?

If you feel that further support is still required, in addition to everything that has already been put in place, this what needs to happen:

  1. Ideally, agree with the SENDCo and setting that an EHCP is required, so they can help with the next stage and provide information on what has already been tried.
  2. Request an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment, sometimes called an EHCNA – in terms of timescales, the submission of the request is WEEK-1. 
  3. Before the end of WEEK-6, you will be informed of the outcome of your request, which will lead to one of two outcomes:
    1. The request for an EHC Needs Assessment is approved, and we will gather information from various people, including you and the child or young person.
    2. We will show ways that the school, college or other setting can meet the needs of your child or young person without an EHC Needs Assessment.
  4. If approved, the EHC Needs Assessment takes place, and before the end of WEEK-16, you will be informed of one of two outcomes:
    1. An EHCP is being drafted
    2. We will show ways that the school, college or setting can meet the needs of the child or young person without an EHCP.
  5. If an EHCP is drafted, you will receive this by WEEK-16 and have 15 calendar days to check through the draft and tell us any concerns or requests for changes, or to request a meeting.
  6. By WEEK-20, the EHCP should be finalised – this is then reviewed appropriately moving forwards.

Even when a young person leaves education, a review needs to take place to ensure that the young person has no intentions of returning to education in the future - the EHCP cannot just cease.

Any conversations around ceasing a plan will take place when the EHCP is reviewed.

Where can I get more information or support with EHCPs? 

Have a discussion with the SENCO at your child or young person's school or educational setting about the different options available to support them. In many cases they can start the process for applying for an EHCP.

If you would prefer to speak to someone at the council, there are dedicated SEND teams in your area, or drop into your local Family Hub.

There is also support from outside of the school, setting, or council:

  • SENDIASS (SEND Information, Advice, and Support Service)
  • DPCC (Dorset Parent Carer Council)

How can I apply for an EHCP? 

To start the process, a request for an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment needs to be submitted - this is covered in more detail in Step 3.