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Education, Health and Care Plan

Once an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment has been carried out if the local authority (LA) decide to issue your child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you will receive a draft plan.

Checking the draft plan

There is a lot to think about, it is important to be prepared and act quickly. You have at least 15 days from the date the draft was sent, to respond to the LA.

The plan is divided into Sections A to K. Click here to see a blank EHCP TEMPLATE

Section ADetails the views, interests and aspirations of you and your child
Section BSpecial educational needs (SEN), have all your child’s needs been listed
Section CHealth needs related to SEN, have all your child’s needs been listed
Section DSocial care needs related to SEN, have all your child’s needs been listed
Section EOutcomes – how the extra help will benefit your child
Section FSpecial educational provision (support).  The provision should be specific.  How often, by whom, how long.  Watch out for vague wording such as ‘opportunities’, ‘access to’ or ‘as required’
Section GHealth provision
Section HSocial care provision
Section I

Placement – type and name of school or other setting.

Note that the name of the school, college or other education setting in section I of the draft EHC plan will be left blank.

Now is the time for you to state which school or college you would like to be named in the final EHC plan. Find out more about naming a school.

Section J Personal budget arrangements. Find out more about personal budgets. 
Section KAdvice and information – a list of the information gathered during the EHC needs assessment. Has the information from all the professionals involved been gathered and included.

complaints F You will need to check the draft plan carefully for mistakes and anything that may have been left out.

CHECK – does the draft plan:

  1. accurately describe your child’s difficulties/needs in sections B/C/D
  2. have enough detail about the help your child will get in sections F/G/H
  3. include all the reports used in the assessment process in section K

EHC draft plan timescales

You have at least 15 days from the date the draft was sent to respond to the LA.

You can:

  • state your preference of school to be named in section I
  • ask the LA to arrange a meeting with you to discuss the draft plan
  • tell the LA about any changes you would like made to the plan. This is called “making representations”. Be as specific as possible about the changes you would like, by suggesting alternative wording. Use the information in the professional’s reports from section K to back up your request.
  • if you need more time, for example you are seeking help to check the plan, you can ask the LA for an extension – the regulations state, at least 15 days.

As a result of your representations (changes) the LA may:

  • issue a final plan with all or some of the changes you would like
  • issue an unchanged final plan
  • make changes of their own and re-issue the plan in a draft form

The LA must issue a final plan within 20 weeks of the initial request for an EHC needs assessment.

If you are not happy with the final EHC plan

When the LA issues the final plan, they MUST send you a letter telling you of your right to mediation and appeal. If you disagree with all or part of the final plan, you have 2 months of the date of the decision letter, or one month from the date of the mediation certificate – whichever is later. 

Find out more about complaints, mediation and appeals. 

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For further information or advice, please contact us