EHC needs assessment timeline
The EHC needs assessment process should take no more than 20 weeks. There are five stages:
- Processing your request (weeks one to six)
- Advice gathering process (weeks six to 12)
- Decison to issue an EHCP or not (weeks 12 to 16)
- Issuing final EHCP (weeks 16 to 20)
- Annual review
1. Processing your request (weeks one to six)
We receive an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment request. In this request, you need to have given your written consent to share information with professionals who will be involved in the EHC needs assessment process.
We allocate an EHC officer, who will call you or the young person to introduce themselves and discuss what will happen during the process. This is called a family’s first call.
Within six weeks of making the request, you will receive a letter from our SEND service. This will advise of our decision to make an assessment or not. If we do not agree to go ahead, the letter will explain the reasons why.
You can either:
- accept the decision
- contact the SEND team to discuss the decision
- get independent advice from SENDIASS
- consider mediation or making an appeal to SENDIST
Note: You have two months to appeal to SENDIST from the date of the decision letter from us. You will need a mediation certificate before you can lodge an appeal.
2. Advice gathering process (weeks six to 12)
If we agree to make an EHC needs assessment, we will gather information or advice from:
- the child or young person – their views, wishes and feelings
- the child’s parents or carers
- people in your child or young person’s current educational environment, usually the class teacher, SENCo or headteacher
- an educational psychologist (EP)
- any other professional involved with the child or young person that we think is appropriate
- any person the child’s parent or the young person reasonably requests
- social care professionals
These professionals have six weeks to complete their advice.
You can learn more about the EHC needs assessment process.
3. Decison to issue an EHCP or not (weeks 12 to 16)
We must decide if an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is to be issued by week 16.
If we decide that an EHCP is not needed, we will offer a meeting to discuss what other support is available for your child or young person. We must also inform you or the young person of your right to make an appeal.
If an EHCP is to be issued, we will offer a meeting to co-produce the draft plan with you and your child (or young person). We will also invite any professionals involved in the assessment.
We will send a draft plan to you or the young person and the professionals that contributed to the assessment. You or the young person can tell us the name of the education setting that you would want to be named in the EHCP. You can request more than one setting.
We will start the consultation process with your preferred education settings. We may also consult other education settings we think would be suitable for your child or young person.
You or the young person will have 15 days to respond to the draft plan with changes or comments. You will also receive a letter that will explain what you will need to do.
4. Issuing final EHCP (weeks 16 to 20)
We must issue the final EHCP by week 20.
We send a copy to:
- you or the young person
- the professionals involved
- the education setting named in the EHCP, where the child or young person will attend
The letter sent with the final EHCP should also set out details about your right to appeal if you are unhappy with the contents of the EHCP. It will provide other details such as information about mediation.
5. Next steps: Annual review
Your child's (or young person’s) EHCP should be reviewed every year.
This annual review gives an opportunity to reflect on the last year and suggest changes if necessary.
