Making decisions
Information to help you make decisions.
We can help you
We can help to explain what you need to know about your rights and what help and support you can get as a young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Young people aged 16 to 25 have legal rights when it comes to making decisions about their lives.
According to Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014 (external link), local authorities must ensure they involve children, young people and families in decisions about themselves and the local area by:
taking account of their views, wishes and feelings
allowing them to participate as fully as possible in decisions
providing them with information or supporting them to enable this participation
Once you are over 16 the law sees you as a young person, rather than a child, and you will have the right to make your own decisions about the support you need.
This includes the right to:
apply for an education, health and care needs assessment — once you are over 16 your parents need your consent to apply for an EHC needs assessment on your behalf
decide where you want to be educated including 6th forms, colleges, alternative provisions, apprenticeships and training institutions
appeal to tribunal about the support you get, or the educational placement named in your plan
control a personal budget — this is a budget set out for you to support your education, this is different to a social care personal budget
A guide for young people aged 16-25 who want to know who to talk to if they are unhappy with the help they are getting for their special educational needs or disability at their school or college.