Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments

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1. EHC Needs Assessments explained
2. Education Health and Care plan explained
3. Who can ask for an assessment
4. Documents to help complete a request for an EHC assessment
5. What happens after the request for assessment is made
6. EHC assessment decisions
7. Who can help with EHC assessments
8. Moving counties with an EHCP

EHC Needs Assessments explained

Most children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) will have their needs met in local mainstream early years settings, schools or colleges. Every educational setting in Wiltshire must provide high quality teaching that is personalised and age appropriate for all children and young people, including those with SEND.

The SEND Code of Practice 2015 emphasises the need for a graduated approach to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND through early and relevant intervention.

This means that the education setting will follow a series of 'assess, plan, do, review' cycles using their own resources (Wiltshire Ordinarily Available Provision for All Learners (OPAL)). The educational setting will keep records of the support delivered, using documents such as a 'SEND Support Plan'.

If the child or young person under 25 has still not met expected education goals, then a request for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment may be considered. This will help the local authority decide if it is necessary to provide support using an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) explained

An EHCP sets out clearly the parent, child or young person's views and aspirations for the future. It includes information and advice from professionals from education, health or social care, who know or are working with the child or young person. It describes the child or young person's special educational needs and their strengths. It states the outcomes that the EHCP will support them to achieve. It also sets out the support to be given to the child to achieve the outcomes that are written in the EHCP. It is a legal document that the education setting must follow. It is also important that the plan prepares the child or young person for adulthood.

For more information on plans you can visit: EHCP 0 to 5, EHCP 5 to 11, EHCP 11 to 16, EHCP 16+

Who can ask for an EHC Needs Assessment

The following people can ask the local authority to conduct a statutory needs' assessment for a child or young person:

• the child's parent or carer
• a young person over the age of 16 but under 25
• a professional acting on behalf of an education setting, such as an early years' provider, a school, or post-16 setting (this should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the parents or young person, where possible)
• other people who know the child/young person well, such as a health or social care professional (this should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the parents or young person, where possible)

Moving counties and admissions information

Information and guidance for professionals and parents about SEND educational placements in Wiltshire can be found by visiting: Moving in or out of Wiltshire with an EHCP

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