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An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document

It describes the child or young person’s special educational needs
It describes their health and care needs
The support they need, and who from.
The outcomes they would like to achieve.

An EHC plan is provided by the local authority.

It will give a child or young person extra educational support, than what is already been offered at SEN support level.

It can also give parents and young people more choice about which school or other setting the they can attend, for example special schools or resourced provisions.

Not all children and young people with SEN will need an EHCP.

If you, or the school or early years setting feel that more support is needed either of you can request an EHCP assessment.

In Barnsley you can request an EHCP assessment online, using the EHCP Hub.

To access the hub, and find more information about:

What is an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment?
Who needs an EHCP?
How do I get an EHCP?

Click the link below, then click ‘Request a needs assessment’:

EHCP hub

Once you or the school, college or early year setting requests an EHCP assessment you will receive a system generated email with a reference code, this is your receipt used to identify your request until you are assigned an account.

It’s BMBC’s online system that holds information about new EHCP assessments for children and young people, and existing EHC plans.

It provides secure access for you and professionals to contribute and view information. It can only be viewed by you, and the professionals working with your child.

When you have an account on the EHCP Hub, it lets you:

See which professionals have been contacted and what information they have shared.
Add important information about you or your child.
See the timelines that shows when actions need to be completed
Send and receive messages to and from your EHC Coordinator.

On the EHC Hub you can upload:

Documents,
Examples of work,
Photos, and short video clips.

The request for assessment will be sent to the EHCP team and assigned to an assistant coordinator. The requests are processed by assistant coordinators, and they will ring you to confirm your details and talk through what happens next.

When the assistant coordinator rings you they will assign you an account

The assistant coordinator will generate an automated email from the hub assigning you to ‘an active case’ on the hub.

You should follow the link and add your email and create a password to log in.

There will be a 2 factor authentication, (extra security step) you can do this with either a QR code or SMS code, the assistant co-ordinator will talk you through this.

You will have access to the hub and will be able to see what progress is taking place.

The whole process will take a maximum of 20 weeks.

Week 1

The application is received by the EHC Assistant Coordinators. They will review the information received and may ask for further information if it is missing. They will then submit the application to the weekly multi-agency panel to make a decision, this panel is made up of senior EHCP coordinators, the Designated Clinical Officer (DCO), representatives from the Disabled Children’s Team, and other SEND professionals.

By Week 6

The multi-agency panel meets and decides whether to agree to carry out the Needs Assessment.

Weeks 6-16

Following the decision to carry out a Needs Assessment, your EHC Coordinator will give you a call to introduce themselves. They will explain the process, what happens next and discuss suitable methods of contact. They will coordinate the needs assessment by gathering information from

you;
the education setting;
medical advice and information from a health care professional including historic information if they are now discharged.
psychological advice
information from an educational psychologist;
advice and information in relation to social care
any other professionals as agreed appropriate.

If you log on to the EHC Hub, you will see the information provided as it is received.

By Week 16

The EHC Coordinator must ensure the information is submitted to the second multi-agency panel who will decide if an EHC Plan is needed or whether the school can continue to meet your child’s needs at SEN Support level. Your EHC Coordinator will share the decision with you and explain the next steps in the process.

By Week 18

If agreed, your EHC coordinator will create an EHC plan. They will share a draft version with so you can suggest any changes and share your views. We will consult with the most appropriate setting to meet your child's needs. Parental voice will be considered as part of this process and where possible we aim to place children in their local community

By Week 20

The final EHC plan is issued, naming the school/setting that you/ your child are to attend. If you do not agree with the content of the EHC plan, you have the right to mediation and tribunal to discuss this further. The EHC Coordinator can explain this process and what to do next.

It is reviewed every year.

The local authority, school or college will arrange a meeting, inviting you, your child or young-person and any professionals supporting your child. They must give you at least 2 weeks’ notice before the meeting takes place and share any information or reports with you at least two weeks before the meeting.

At the meeting you will all talk about the progress your child has made, and whether the outcomes are still right for your child.

You and your child or young person will be given chance to share your views in the plan.

The annual review process is managed on the EHC Hub: you can log in to see all the information shared, discussed, reviewed and to contribute your views at any time.

Following the annual review meeting, the local authority must make the decision whether to:

maintain (keep it as it is)
amend (make some changes) or
cease (stop) your child’s EHC plan.

Your EHC Coordinator will share this decision with you and explain what happens next.

If we amend the plan at this point we must complete the consultation process again to check that settings can still meet the need based on the amendments. The consultation process is 15 days, but may take longer if a specialist provision is agreed.

Final Annual Review.

The final annual review guide helps everyone involved in a child or young person’s final annual review understand what the process should look like.

It involves looking at the young person's achievements and checking what they need to ensure they have a good life.

To get a better understanding of what will happen read the final annual review guide here

Remember, the plan can be reviewed at other times if there have been significant changes to a child or young person’s needs, you should speak to your education setting or EHCP co-ordinator about bringing the annual review forward if you feel it's needed.

2 factor authentication	An extra security step
Assigned	Given
Elective	By choice, your choice
Outcomes	Results
Resourced provisions	A school or college set up to deliver education for SEND children and young people usually by referral
Significant	great, noteworthy

What is an EHCP?

How to contact the EHCP team

How to get started

What is the EHC hub?

What happens after the request for assessment is submitted?

How long will it take to get an EHCP?

How often is the EHCP reviewed?

What if I don't agree with a decision about the EHCP?

Who can help me appeal?

What if my child is Electively Home Educated?

Jargon Buster : What does that mean?

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