Education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments
Information about EHC needs assessments.
What is an EHC needs assessment?
An EHC needs assessment is a detailed look at the special educational needs (SEN) of a child / young person, and the support they need in order to learn. The assessment is to see if your child or young person needs an EHC plan.
Local authorities are responsible for carrying out EHC needs assessments under the Children and Families Act 2014.
The needs assessment brings together information about:
what your child can and cannot do
the special help they need
It includes information from:
you
your child or young person
the early years setting, school or post 16 education provider
other professionals who work with or support your child or young person
View a flow chart of how to request the EHC needs assessment process (PDF 244kb).
View a flow chart of how the EHC needs assessment process is conducted (PDF 244kb).
You can download a template letter to make a request for an EHC needs assessment from IPSEA’s website here.
When is an EHC needs assessment necessary?
The school or early years setting can often give your child help through special educational needs (SEN) support. This means that the school makes additional or different provision from that provided to most other pupils to meet their needs.
Sometimes other professionals will give advice or support to help your child learn.
Some children need more help than the school can provide. If your child does not make progress despite everything the school has tried, an EHC needs assessment might be the next step.
“In considering whether an EHC needs assessment is necessary, the local authority should consider whether there is evidence that despite the early years provider, school or post 16 institution having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress.”
The local authority will look at:
your child’s attainments and rate of progress
their special educational needs
what has already been done
the difference that support has made
your child’s physical, emotional and social development and health needs
The law states that if your child has or may have special needs and may need provision to be made via an EHC plan, the local authority must conduct an EHC needs assessment.
This means that you do not have to prove that an EHC plan is necessary to obtain an assessment, you just have to show it may be necessary.
If you think your child needs more help than the school can provide, you can ask for an assessment.
You can download a template letter to make a request for an EHC needs assessment from IPSEA’s website here.
Who can ask for EHC needs assessment
Parents – by writing to or emailing the local authority. It is always a good idea to talk to the early years setting, school or post 16 provider before asking for an EHC needs assessment.
A young person over the age of 16 but under the age of 25
The early years setting, school or post 16 education provider, but only after talking with you first.
Other people, such as your doctor or a health visitor, can tell the local authority that they think your child needs an assessment.
You can download a template letter to make a request for an EHC needs assessment from IPSEA’s website here.
The contact details of where to send your request are on North Tyneside Councils SEND Local Offer.
What happens when the local authority is asked for an assessment
As soon as the local authority receives a request for an EHC needs assessment they must tell you about it.
“In considering whether an EHC needs assessment is necessary, local authorities should pay particular attention to the views, wishes and feelings of the child and his or her parent, or the young person. ”
The local authority has up to six weeks to decide whether to conduct a needs assessment. During this time, they may ask you, the school and other professionals for information.
It will look at all the information and then must tell you whether they have decided:
to start the EHC needs assessment immediately
that an EHC needs assessment is not necessary
If the local authority decides an assessment is not necessary
The local authority must tell you why it thinks that an EHC needs assessment is not needed. It must also tell you about:
your right to appeal that decision and the time limit for doing so
mediation and disagreement resolution
the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
how to get further information, advice, or support
If the assessment goes ahead
“Local authorities must consult the child and the child’s parent or the young person throughout the process of assessment and production of an EHC plan. They should also involve the child as far as possible in this process. The needs of the individual child and young person should sit at the heart of the assessment and planning process.”
The local authority will write to you to tell you what will happen and ask for your views. You and your child’s views are really important.
The local authority will ask a number of other people for information about your child.
This advice should include information about:
your child’s education, health and care needs
the desired outcomes for your child
the special educational, health and care provision that might be required to meet their needs and achieve the desired outcomes
The local authority must ask for advice and information from:
parents (or the young person)
your child’s early years setting, school or post 16 provider — if they have a vision or hearing impairment the local authority must also seek information and advice from a suitably qualified teacher
health professionals who work with your child — This might include a paediatrician, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist
an educational psychologist
social care staff
provisions to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living (from Year 9 onwards)
any person requested by the child’s parent or young person, where the local authority considers it reasonable to do so
Youth offending teams or Young offender’s institutions (if applicable)
The local authority should also consider any other appropriate information, such as Early Help Assessments, in the case of children of members of the Armed Forces - from the Children's Education Advisory Service, in the case of a looked after child - from the Virtual School Head in the authority that looks after the child and the child’s Designated Teacher and the Designated Doctor or Nurse for looked after children.
You will receive a copy of all the reports when the needs assessment is finished.
The local authority should also try to find out your child’s views. You, the school and other professionals may be able to help with this.
You can find out more about advice and information for EHC needs assessments in the SEND Code of Practice sections 9.45 – 9.52 (external link).
Deciding on the assessment
Once the local authority has all the information and advice it must decide whether your child needs an education, health and care plan or whether your child’s needs can be met through SEN support.
If your child’s needs can be met through SEN support, the local authority must tell you of its decision within 16 weeks of receiving the request for an EHC needs assessment. The local authority must also tell you about your right of appeal.
Timeline
When the local authority receives a request for an EHC needs assessment – this is the start date.
The local authority decides whether an EHC needs assessment is needed within 6 weeks of the start date.
The EHC needs assessment starts as soon as the decision is made.
If the local authority decides not to issue a plan, they must tell parents or young person within 16 weeks of the start date.
If the local authority decides to issue a plan, they will send a draft EHC plan to parents or the young person.
Sometimes this timescale can be different. See the SEND Code of Practice sections 9.42 (external link).