An Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) is for children and young people with special educational needs or disability that cannot be met by the support that is available at school who require significantly more support than a mainstream school can normally provide. Most children with special educational needs will have help given to them without the need for an EHCP. This is called SEN support. Some children may not make the progress expected of them even with this help. When this happens, a school or parents can apply to the Local Authority to carry out an EHC needs assessment. When this assessment is finished, the local authority must decide whether to issue an EHCP.

An (EHCP) describes your child’s special educational needs (SEN) and the help they will get to meet them. An EHCP also includes any health and care provision that is needed. It is a legal document written by the local authority and is intended to ensure that children and young people with an EHCP receive the support they need.

Talk with our SENDCo if you think the information above applies to your child, as good communication and understanding help make the application process more successful.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS). This team is a confidential and independent, arms length service provided by the Local Authority. They can support parents/young people at any stage of Special Educational Needs Support, EHC assessment, or reviews, including support around making an appeal. SENDIASS will ensure that parents or carers are: fully included in the Education Health Care (EHC) needs assessment process from the start; fully aware of their opportunities to offer views and information; consulted about the content of the plan. Their website can be found here.