EHCP Support
What is an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and how do I know if my child needs one?
Here at Blue Skies we understand what a dramatic difference the right school placement with the right provision makes to a child with Special Education Needs and/or Disability (SEND). The question is how do we ensure that each SEND child’s needs are fully understood and met?
In theory, help is available via SEN support or EHC plans. SEN support is used when a school or other setting has the resources and/or expertise available to meet the child’s needs. EHC plans are used when the school does not have the required resources and/or expertise required to meet the needs of the child.
In the case of the EHC plan the Local Authority (LA) is legally required to provide what is needed although it will be mainly delivered via the school/setting. The key documents that detail how this process should work are the Children and Families Act (CAFA) 2014 as well as the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of practice (this gives further detail on how CAFA should be applied). A child does not need a formal diagnosis to access either of these support systems.
- want to apply for an EHC plan needs assessment
- have been refused an EHC plan needs assessment
- have been refused an EHC plan following a needs assessment
- are unhappy with the contents of your child’s EHC plan
- are unhappy with the school/setting named on your child’s EHC plan
- have been told your Local Authority wants to ‘cease to maintain’ your child’s EHCp
- are unhappy with the annual review of your child’s EHC plan
- are going to tribunal and are concerned about having the correct supporting evidence
Who needs an EHC plan?
‘An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.’
(Gov.uk, 2022)
Your child does not need to have a formal diagnosis to apply for, or recieve, an EHCP. If they are already receiving extra help at school such as SEN support and they are still failing to make adequate progress then an EHC plan might be needed. However, being on SEN support is not a prerequisite to applying for an EHC plan.
Step One
Collect together any paperwork you have regarding your child’s education. This may include school reports, any professional reports e.g. speech therapy, draft EHC plan, correspondence with the Local Authority as well as correspondence with your child’s setting/prospective setting (if applicable).
Step Two
Book a 60 minute ‘Trouble-shoot’ call. During the call we will establish if your child’s needs are being met and possible actions you can take next.
What information does the call include?
An assessment of where you are in the process of securing provision to meet your child’s needs, what legal tests (if any) apply to your current situation, what information would be helpful for you to collect in order to move onto the next step in the process.
What information does the call not include?
The call does not include assessing the wording of an EHC plan or draft, although we may look at some parts in detail to highlight how the document should be worded in order to follow government guidance. A full analysis of this may be your next step.
What if I need longer than 60 minutes?
In almost all cases 60minutes is long enough to assess where you are in the process and explain what is required to get to the next step. If you would like to speak for longer please discuss this towards the end of your call. It may be possible to continue or even to ring you back later in the day depending on scheduling. Extra time is charged at the same rate as the initial call in units of 15minutes ie you will be charged £15 per extra 15 minutes or part thereof. If extending the call on the day is not possible then please book a further appointment at your convenience.
Do I need to send you all my EHC plan documents?
No, this service does not involve a detailed assessment of your documents, rather it is an assessment of where you are in the process and how to take the next step.
What training and experience do the Blue Skies staff have in the EHC plan process?
Sara has been a qualified teacher since 2002 and a SEND parent since 2009. In addition to successfully securing EHCP provision for her son, she supports all our Blue Skies families through the process. This has included attending numerous EHC plan annual reviews, assessing the wording of EHC plans, in particular section F, and writing many professional reports for tribunal cases. Unfortunately, we do not offer these services for children and young people that we have not yet professionally assessed.
Sara also undertook several months of training in order to understand more fully the legal obligations of LA’s to children and young people with SEND. She dedicates a couple of hours a week volunteering for a charitable helpline supporting parents at all stages of their EHCp process. Through this work she has given next steps advice on many topics including applying for an EHC plan needs assessment, appealing to the SEND tribunal if an EHC plan has been refused following an assessment, appealing the contents of an EHC plan, preparing for tribunal cases and many more.
Do you write professional reports for tribunal cases?
In addition to Troubleshooting, we can also assess and write reports for children and young people who are finding it difficult to secure the correct provision for their needs. Neuro Developmental Therapy (one of other services) can be a key addition to professional reports required to fully describe the needs of a child or young person. Please email us if you would like further information on this.
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07715268522
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sam@blueskiesahead.org.uk
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