How a parent or young person can make a request for an EHC Plan
The first step to getting an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is to make a request for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment. This is an assessment of a child or young person’s education, health and care needs.
Most children or young people would already need to be getting support in mainstream schools before you can apply for an EHC (Education, Health and Care) needs assessment.
Sometimes your child may need more support than is being provided. You (parents/carers and young people aged 16-25), your school, nursery, post 16 setting or a professional can apply for a needs assessment.
Often, a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will work with parents, carers and other professionals to do this. This can be through a meeting called a “multi-agency meeting”.
There may be situations where you need to request an EHC (Education, Health and Care) needs assessment on your own. If you feel this is necessary, you will need to send a parental request form (docx, 74kb) to Southwark's SEN (Special Educational Needs) team with any supporting documents. This can include:
- information about the nature, extent and context of their special educational needs
- evidence of what the nursery, school or college has done to meet their special educational needs
- evidence of the progress they’ve made because of the additional support that has been provided
- evidence of their physical, emotional and social development and health needs, as related to their education
If the request is for a young person over the age of 16, they should complete the request themselves (unless their special need or disabilities mean this is not possible).
The SEN (Special Educational Needs) team will contact the setting that your child/young person attends. They will request the completion of a settings request form (docx, 132kb). Reports will also be obtained from other professionals involved in assessing or supporting your child. Responses will be considered to decide if this evidences the need to carry out an assessment.
You should receive a decision within six weeks of submitting your request.
The Local Authority's SEN team will write to you with their decision. This will be within six weeks of receiving your assessment request. The decision will either be to carry out an EHC needs assessment or not at this stage.
If the Local Authority agree to carry out an EHC needs assessment:
Professionals including an Educational Psychologist will assess the child or young person. Their reports will detail any special educational needs identified. Provision required to meet any identified needs must be specified.
The Local Authority must notify you of its decision to either issue an EHCP or not no later than 16 weeks from your initial request.
If the Local Authority:
a) decide not to carry out an EHC needs assessment, or
b) following the EHC needs assessment refuse to issue an EHCP
You will have a right of appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. In this situation, it will be necessary to consider mediation before making an appeal.
You will receive information about the appeals process when you receive your decision letter. You can also request advice and support from SIAS .
The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) from your child's school is usually best placed to discuss this with you.
You can also contact the Southwark Information, Advice and Support (SIAS) team for impartial advice.
Telephone: 020 7525 3104
Email: SIAS@southwark.gov.uk
To find out more information about the SIAS Team, click here.