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Essex SEND IASS
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It is a detailed look at what you might need help with. Lots of people think about what you might need and then write reports.  

Who might need an EHC needs assessment?  

You might need an EHC needs assessment if :

  • you have special educational needs.
  • your school or college may not be able to give you all of the support you need. 

We can support you if you think you may need an EHC Needs Assessment.  Our service is called SENDIASS. SENDIASS is a free, confidential and impartial service for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). SEND means you need extra help to learn things.

What happens in an EHC needs assessment?

In Essex someone who works in the SEND Operations Service decides which young people need an Education Health & Care plan. To help them decide they will ask you what you can do on your own and what you might need extra help with. They will also ask the people that help and support you in your learning to think about what you might need and then write a report about it:

  • Your school or college.
  • People that support you, including your parents or carers.
  • An educational psychologist. This is someone who knows lots about how people learn.
  • Your doctor and therapist if you have one.
  • Your social worker if you have one.
  • Any other people you want to write reports to explain your needs.

Who else do the Send Operations Service need to talk to?

It is important that you are involved in making decisions about your future. You might be asked to fill in ‘This is me’ or ‘All about me’ to tell people what you think about school and college and how you feel about it. You can also say what you would like to do in the future.

You can use other ways of telling people your view such as video, drawing, using plain paper.

We can help you to prepare for sharing your views and thoughts. 

Also in this section:

How to ask for an EHC Needs Assessment

You can ask the SEND Operations Team for an Education, Health & Care Needs assessment if you are 25 years old or under and you think you might need one.

What happens at the end of the EHC Needs Assessment?

Once the Send Operations Team have all the information and reports they need they will decide if you need an Education, Health & Care plan.