Request for EHCP assessment and Annual Review guidance
Annual review guidance
A process not a meeting. There are 3 stages – all equally important in this legal process:
- prior to the meeting
- at the meeting
- following the meeting
Remember the meeting itself is not the Annual Review; it is only a part of the Local Authority’s annual review of the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and the date of the Annual Review is the date the process is completed (for example, the letter from the Local Authority is sent).
If you have any questions, email: [email protected].
Find out more about:
- prior to the meeting
- holding the review meeting
- requesting to cease plans
- requesting to amend plans
- after the review meeting
Prior to the meeting
From September 2022, the SEND Team will provide a list to all schools and settings, of the children and young people who will require a review of their EHCP each term at least two weeks before the start of that term. The school or setting can then send out invites.
At least 2 weeks prior to the review meeting:
- the templates in Section 1 of the Assessment Review paperwork for the child or young person, parent carers and other adults who support the child or young person must be completed. This should include health and social care as well as other colleagues in education. The school or setting must seek this information from all those invited to the review
- completed contributions must be circulated to all those invited to the meeting (there should not be any surprises for anyone attending the meeting)
- the school or setting should complete the educational attainment and progress section of the form and the Intervention section of the paperwork although they may want to leave the impact column to be completed following the discussion in the meeting where appropriate
Holding the review meeting
During the meeting:
- celebrate all the highlights of the year
- consider the child or young person’s progress towards the outcomes
- focus on Preparing for Adulthood
- all reviews from Year 9 onwards (and preferably before) must include Preparation for Adulthood
- consider and prepare for the next phase of education and/or employment, independent living, participating in society and being as healthy as possible
- if the young person is nearing the end of formal education and the EHCP is likely to be ceased within the next 12 months, there should be a focus on good exit planning
- review any short breaks provision and any arrangements for direct payments where relevant
- set new interim targets for the coming year and, where appropriate, agree new outcomes
- consider what provision is required to help the child or young person meet the new targets or outcomes
- agree at the end of the meeting if a request is to be made for the EHCP to be maintained, amended or ceased
Requesting to cease plans
If there is a proposal to cease the plan, indicate this on Assessment Review paperwork with a clear explanation of how you have arrived at this proposal for example, outcomes have been met.
Requesting to amend plans
Section 9.913 in the Code of Practice states ‘EHC plans are not expected to be amended on a very frequent basis’. These should be made to reflect significant changes to needs or provision or where a request is being made to change funding or to the named setting in Section I.
Any requested amendments must be supported by evidence from professionals for example, a new diagnosis or a consensus that current arrangements are not adequately meeting the child or young person's needs.
After the review meeting
Within 2 weeks after the meeting, the school must prepare and send the AR paperwork to everyone invited to the meeting and the Local Authority.
If there are proposed amendments, the setting must clearly show on the EHCP what is proposed to be removed (strikethrough) and what is proposed to be added (highlighted).
The local authority will consider the proposed amendments and decide whether to maintain, amend or cease the plan and share their decision in writing with the family and the school or setting no later than 4 weeks after the review meeting. Once the letter has been sent the parents have the right to appeal the Local Authority decision.