Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans)
Email this pageAn Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) describes your child’s special educational needs (SEN) and the help they will get to meet them. An EHC plan 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 EHC plan receive the support they need.
EHC plans replaced Statements of Special Educational Need and Section 139 Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA) on 1 September 2014.
EHC plans are for children and young people who need more support than their school or other setting can provide. The plans can start from a child’s birth and continue into further education and training.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
The purpose of an EHC plan is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood.
(9.2)
Useful Information
Good example of an EHC Plan
From the Council for Disabled Children
Good practice from year 9 and beyond
From the Council for Disabled Children
Council for Disabled Children - EHCP application process
An interactive resource offers detailed information on the EHCP application process.
Flow chart on how to make a request for an EHC Needs Assessment
Step by step process on how to make a request to the local authority for an EHC Needs Assessment
Flow chart on EHC Needs Assessment Process
Step by Step timeframe of the assessment process
Also in this section:
Draft EHC plans & Proposed Plan Meetings
Guidance on how to check through your draft EHC plan and how to plan and prepare for a Proposed Plan meeting
Choosing a school with an EHC plan
Guidance on choosing and naming a school on an EHC plan
Placement Consultation Process
Frequently asked questions during the consultation process
Finalising the EHC Plan
You should receive a final EHC plan within a maximum of 20 weeks of the initial request.
Mediation
Mediation is a way to try to settle a dispute and involves meeting with different parties to try to reach an agreement.
EOTIS (Education Otherwise than in School/College) Section 61 CAFA
If the local authority (LA) deems school or college to be inappropriate for your child or young person, the LA can arrange for your child’s special educational provision to be delivered somewhere other than in a school, college or early years setting.
Changing a school placement with an EHC plan
The EHCP is unlikely to remain the same and may become out of date or the child/young person may move to a different school or college.
Moving to a new Local Authority with an EHC Plan
If you are moving to a new Local Authority area, the EHC plan will need to transfer to the new local authority.