Glossary
What is an EHCP?
Also called: Education Health and Care Plan, EHC plan, EHC needs assessment, EHCNA, statement of SEN
Definition
An EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) is a legal document in England, issued by a local authority, that sets out a child or young person's special educational needs and the support they must receive to meet them, from birth to age 25.
What it means
EHCPs were introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 and replaced the old statements of special educational needs. They are for children whose needs can’t be met through the support a school normally provides, called SEN Support.
The process starts with a request to the local authority for an EHC needs assessment. A parent can make this request directly; it does not have to come from school. The local authority has 6 weeks to decide whether to assess, and the whole process, up to issuing a final plan, should take no longer than 20 weeks from the request. In practice some areas run late. If the local authority refuses to assess, refuses to issue a plan, or you disagree with what the plan says, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal. Plans are reviewed at least once a year.
Wales and Scotland have different systems, with Individual Development Plans and Coordinated Support Plans.
What it can look like for your child
The plan describes your child’s needs, the outcomes everyone is working towards and the specific help they will get, such as hours of support, speech and language therapy or a particular school. The educational support written into the plan is legally enforceable. Your child’s views should be included in it too.
How counselling can help
We don’t write EHCPs or decide who gets one. With your consent, we can provide information for an assessment about how your child presents in sessions, and counselling can sometimes be written into a plan as a provision. Parents also find the process stressful, and having someone to think it through with can help. For independent legal advice, IPSEA and your local SENDIASS are free.