Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
An EHCP is a legal document that sets out the education, health and social care needs of a child or young person aged 0 to 25 years, and the support necessary to help them make progress and achieve their identified outcomes.
They are for children and young people whose needs cannot be met through the resources already available to the education setting that they attend Most children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will not require an EHCP, as they can receive the support they need through the school’s own resources (known as SEN Support).
An EHCP -
- identifies educational, health and social needs. It sets out the provision required to meet those needs for a child or young person to achieve their best possible outcomes
- considers a child or young person’s aspirations
- specifies how services will work together to meet a child or young person’s needs and achieve agreed outcomes
- is a legal document
- may remain in place until a young person is 25, should there be a continued need for the plan to enable the young person to make progress and access education
- is used to secure the provision which is assessed as being necessary and is above that provided at SEN Support
The short animations below were developed by the Council for Disabled Children to help explain the EHCP process and its important relationship with the Person Centred Connection.
When a child or young person is assessed as requiring an EHCP, or at any transition point between settings (early years to primary school, primary school to secondary school, secondary school to post-16), parents and carers and young people will be asked for their preference of school.
The Children and Families Act 2014 states that if a child’s parent or carer, or a young person, requests a particular nursery, school or post-16 institution, the local authority must comply with that preference and name the school or college in the EHC plan unless either -
- it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational need of the child or young person
- the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources
Once a request is received to consult with a particular school or schools, the Statutory SEND Assessment and Review Team will send a copy of the EHCP to the education setting. The school will review the documentation sent and will advise as to whether they feel that they can meet the child or young person's needs and deliver the provision outlined within their EHCP. It is expected that settings consider all reasonable adjustments that they may be able to make to support a child or young person with an EHCP to access their setting.
The Council for Disabled Children have top tips for professionals who support children and young people to participate in their EHCP.