Information recorded in an education, health and care plan (EHCP)

An education health and care plan (EHCP) will include the aspirations, needs, outcomes for your child and the provision for your child. 

Decisions about the content of the plan should be made openly and collaboratively. The plan should be clear on how your child has contributed to their plan. 

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The information that must be included in an EHCP 

EHCPs should be forward-looking and describe positively what your child can do and has achieved. They should be clear, concise, understandable and accessible to parents, children, young people, practitioners and providers. They must also specify the outcomes sought for your child.  

The overall format of the plan may differ if you move to another area, however, the Children and Families Act 2014, sets out what must be included in the plan and the SEND Code of Practice provides guidance on this. 

The plan should include: 

Section A: You and your child's views, interests and aspirations.  

Section B: Your child's special educational needs  

Section C: Your child's health needs which are related to their special educational needs 

Section D: Your child's social care needs which are related to their special educational needs 

Section E: The outcomes sought for your child, including outcomes for adult life. The plan should also identify arrangements for planning of shorter-term targets by the education settings. This may not be included in the actual plan 

Section F: The special educational provision for your child's needs 

Section G: Any health provision reasonably required to help with the developmental and/or learning difficulty/disability which has resulted in your child having special educational needs.  Where an individual health care plan exists, this must also be included  

Section H1: Any social care provision which must be made for your child in accordance with section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.Section H2: Any other social care provision reasonably required to help with the developmental and/or learning difficulty/disability which has resulted in your child having special educational needs. This will include any adult social care provision being provided to meet a young person's eligible needs under the Care Act 2014 (through a statutory care and support plan) 

Section I: The name and type of school, maintained nursery school, post-16 provision or other educational settings to be attended by your child  

Section J: Where there is a personal budget, the details of how that will support particular outcomes and the provision it will be used for. This should include any flexibility in its usage and the arrangements for any direct payments for education, health and social care  
 
Section K: The advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment must be attached in appendices to the plan.   

IPSEA, a national charity has written a detailed checklist covering these sections that you can download.  

Involving you and your child in the EHCP 

Your child’s EHCP case coordinator will use the professional reports gathered in the assessment, together with the views of you and your child and start drafting the plan.  

You will be invited to a meeting where you will discuss:  

Aspirations: (Ambitions, Hopes & Dreams) What are your child’s ambitions hopes, wishes of achieving something?  

Needs: What are your child’s needs? The needs of your child will be related to main areas of needs as written in the SEND code of practice. To learn more about the main areas of need please read our article What is SEND?   

Outcomes: What are we all trying to achieve for your child based on their needs, their interests and their wishes? What are the benefits or differences you and your child want to see as a result of the provision agreed within the plan?  

Provision: What provision is needed to help your child achieve the desired outcome? 

What - e.g. Speech and language therapy   

By whom -  e.g. to be delivered by a teaching assistant overseen by a speech and language therapist  

How often . – e.g. 2 hours a week  

How long for -  e.g. for 12 weeks   

Why -  e.g. to develop their social communication skills 

Your child’s views are usually obtained from the education setting and will also need to be included in their EHCP. You can read our following article which explains how to involve children in meetings.   

   

What is a personal budget for SEND  

During your EHCP meeting and the 15 days consultation period, you will be asked if you would like a personal budget for your child’s support.  

You can request a personal budget during the EHCP needs assessment or when the EHC plan is reviewed. You will have the opportunity to discuss your options with the allocated case coordinator and decide if a personal budget is right for your family. 

You can read more in the council's policy on personal budgets 0-25

Final EHCP  

Once the draft plan has been written, it will be sent to you for final feedback. 

Your feedback will be considered and, where possible, the draft plan will be updated.  The draft plan will not name the education placement in section I at this stage. You will be asked in writing for any parental preferences for education settings.   

The council will consider your request for where you want your child to be educated. Children usually stay in their current local school, the majority of children with Special Educational Needs are educated in mainstream schools. Sometimes a child’s needs are so significant that everyone involved with your child feels that they might learn better in a resource base or special school. If this is what you want, the SEND multiagency panel will decide if they agree.

Education settings will be consulted on as to whether they can meet the needs of your child.  

On the 20th week of the EHCP process, you will receive the final EHCP as agreed by the SEND panel. The education setting your child will be attending will be named at this point.  

What if I disagree with the content of the EHCP? 

There is an opportunity to make changes to the draft EHCP by liaising with the allocated caseworker from the EHCP Co-ordination team.  

You have the legal right to appeal under specific circumstances. 

Read our article on how to appeal and mediation.    

Further information  

Supportive Parents provide the information, advice and support service (SENDIASS) for children, young people and families in South Gloucestershire. 

IPSEA is the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice and they provide information about education, health and care plans on their website.

Contact, a national charity who support families who have children with disabilities have details about the EHCP process on their website.

Contact details

Duty Telephone Line: 01454 865137

Email: 0-25serviceeducationduty@southglos.gov.uk

For all enquiries about an EHC needs assessment, annual reviews and provision for pupils with EHC plans please contact Jennie Mackenzie, Team Manager for the EHCP team: jennie.mackenzie@southglos.gov.uk

For all enquiries about school placements please contact Jane Whitworth, Commissioning Manager for Inclusion and SEND: jane.whitworth@southglos.gov.uk

For general enquiries regarding SEND, including SEN Support Services, please contact Will Pritchard, Strategic Lead for inclusion and SEND: will.pritchard@southglos.gov.uk