EHC needs assessment process

If an EHC needs assessment is agreed, ordinarily, those contributing to the statutory assessment process, will be those services already known to the child or young person and their parents/carers, having been involved through the graduated approach.

In a very small minority of circumstances, a child or young person will not have experienced a typical graduated approach and so it may be that through the statutory EHC needs assessment, specialist support services are becoming involved for the first time.  In this case, assessments will be based on available information and assessments of a child or young person at one specific point in time, rather than over time. 

Further information about the statutory EHC needs assessment process can be found here [link].

The SEND Pathway EHCP Stage should be followed for CYP who have been issued with a final EHCP. 

Step 1 – Implement an assess-plan-do-review cycle
Assess

The following is in addition to that outlined in SEND Pathway - targeted stage and SEND Pathway – specialist stage.

  1. A robust graduated approach must continue to ensure all decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the child or young person’s needs and of what supports them in making good progress and securing good outcomes.
  2. Teachers and SENCOs should continue to draw on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the needs of children and young people.
  3. The outcome of any ongoing assessment should be used to update the child or young person’s EHCP through the Annual Review process (See the LA’s guidance on Annual Reviews).
  4. In a small number of cases whereby assessments indicate a significant change in need (parents/carers and the child/young person can also request this) the school may need to request that the LA carries out a statutory re-assessment. If this is being considered the school should have a discussion with the allocated SENSTART officer.
     
Plan

The following is in addition to that outlined in SEND Pathway - targeted stage and SEND Pathway – specialist stage.

  1. Continue to draw upon and implement the advice and recommendations of specialists (as previously outlined).
  2. Work with the CYP and their parents/carers to identify shorter term targets, typically to be achieved within a term, which will help the CYP to make progress towards the outcomes in their EHCP
  3. Ensure that children and young people and their parents/carers continue to be supported to participate fully in the planning and review of the special educational provision. 
  4. Combine the planning and review processes throughout the year as much as possible so that a holistic approach is taken to meet a child/young person’s education, health and social care needs. It is expected that cycles are at least on a termly basis.
Do

The following is in addition to that outlined in SEND Pathway – targeted stage and SEND Pathway – specialist stage.

  1. Schools must ensure that they deliver the provision specified in the EHCP – this will mean that the plan must be shared with all staff working with the child/young person.
  2. Children and young people with an EHCP will require a higher level of support and targeted interventions to enable them to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Support should continue to be focussed on developing skills and maximising independence.
  3. Some children and young people will require a very bespoke and sometimes sensory curriculum, with a focus on functional skills. The curriculum offer must ensure it supports high aspirations whilst being meaningful and purposeful for the individual child/young person, taking account of their level of need.
  4. The school are responsible for funding the first £6,000 of provision through their notional SEND budget and will receive additional funding from the High Needs Block to fund the provision outlined in their EHCP. Schools can use the LA’s Individual Costed Provision Map to support management of the provision for children and young people with EHCPs.
  5. The child or young person’s class/subject/form teacher must remain responsible for the day-to-day oversight of their provision, but the SENCO is likely to be involved in the co-ordination of the support and liaison with relevant specialist support services.
Review

The following is in addition to that outlined in SEND Pathway – targeted stage and SEND Pathway – specialist stage.

  • It is important that CYP and their parents/carers are actively involved in a termly review of progress and review the impact of the interventions.
  • The school should also co-ordinate and lead the Annual Review which the LA is required to carry out least once every 12 months (See Annual Review Guidance)
  • If there is a significant change in needs or if provision needs to be amended then schools should involve relevant specialist services to support with carrying out assessments and planning provision. This should be explored before considering to request that the Annual Review is held sooner.
  • Schools must take action by involving relevant specialist services if a child or young person with an EHCP is considered to be at risk of exclusion. It is an indication that the support isn’t quite right for them, and something needs to change in order to better meet their needs. 
     
Step 2 – Decide on next steps

Decide on next steps in accordance with discussion held during termly reviews and the Annual Review:

  • Continue with the current support
  • Engage relevant specialist services to enhance the APDR cycle
  • Make a recommendation for changes through the Annual Review process
  • Consider guidance in the Attendance pathway
  • Consider guidance in the Exclusion Prevention pathway
20252