Education, Health and Care plans

 

An Education, Health and Care plan (“EHC plan”) is a legal document which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.

Not all children with special educational needs (SEN) need an education, health and care (EHC) plan to have their needs met.

Most children with SEN have their needs met with SEN Support in a mainstream education setting. 

An EHC plan is for children and young people who have complex special educational needs and disabilities. 

 

The special educational provision described in an EHC plan must be provided by the child or young person’s local authority (“LA”). This means an EHC plan can give a child or young person extra educational support. 

 

An EHC plan can only be issued by the LA after a child or young person has gone through the process of an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.

 

The request to begin the process for an assessment can be made by:

• The parents
• The school
• An interested party
• A paediatrician
• A social worker

 

Here is the link to Norfolk County Council's website which contains further details about the process and timescales involved in the process of applying for an EHCP. 

 

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/support-for-learning/education-health-and-care-ehc-plans

 

There are also links below to really useful guidance booklets produced by Norfolk SEND Partnership.