For Families: Getting an Education, Health and Care Plan (for family carers living in England)

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans are replacing Special Educational Needs (SEN) statements from September 2014. This change is happening so that your child’s education, health and care provision will be more joined up. By putting your child’s health, care and education needs into a single plan, everyone involved in your child’s care can have a clear idea of what your child needs and what everyone should be doing. The new system also gives children and their families more say in the process.

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The Process

You can:

The Local Authority (LA) must:

Request an assessment if your child is between 0 and 25 years
Appeal if the LA says your child does not need an EHC assessment or plan
Request that the LA take advice from others, such as your child’s occupational therapist or behavioural specialist
Request a personal budget
Comment on the draft EHC plan and request a meeting to discuss it. You can request a specific school at this stage. You have 15 days to do this from when you receive the draft plan.

Ask your child about their needs and wishes
Ask you about your needs and wishes for your child
Ask your child’s school, doctors, psychologists, and social care team about your child’s needs
Ensure the educational and health support specified on the plan is delivered
Start preparing for your child becoming an adult from year 9 onwards

What should be included in the EHC plan?

The goals, views and interests of your child
Your child’s education, health and social care needs
What support is needed to help your child reach their goals. This should be specific (e.g. number of hours, setting)
How this support will be paid for (Personal Budget? Direct Payments?)
The name of your child’s school, nursery or college

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