EHC Needs Assessments and EHCP timescales
Week 0 - decision to assess
At this point, you or your child’s school will make a request to the Local Authority (LA) for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment.
The ‘clock’ starts when the LA get the request. The ‘clock’ is the amount of time it should take for the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process to be completed.
Week 1 to 6
The Local Authority (LA) will process the EHC Needs Assessment application. The team at the LA will contact the decision letter within 6 weeks.
The ‘clock’ will continue to tick if the assessment is agreed – see weeks 6 to 12.
The LA might decide not to go ahead with the assessment. This is mostly due to a lack of information about your child and their needs. If this happens, you can appeal against the decision. You can find further information about this on the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) website
Weeks 6 to 12 - Assessment and Evidence Gathering
If the assessment is agreed, you will be allocated an EHCP Coordinator who will contact you to arrange a Family Conversation.
The LA will also gather information from all the professionals involved with your child, including:
- you and your child
- medical advice from health
- educational advice
- psychological advice from an educational psychologist
- advice/information from social care
- advice and information from any other appropriate agency
- any agency from which you or your child request
- everyone will have up to 6 weeks to send their advice back to the LA
When the advice/information has been received, the LA should decide whether to issue an EHCP. This decision should be made by week 12.
Weeks 13 to 16
A multi-agency panel will look at all the advice and decide whether to issue an EHCP. Your EHCP Coordinator will let you know the decision by the end of the 16th week.
If the panel do not feel an EHCP is necessary, your EHCP Coordinator will contact you to explain the decision and discuss the next steps. You will get a summary of the assessment and a copy of all the advice. If this happens, you can appeal this decision. You can find further information about this on the SENDIASS website.
Weeks 16 to 20
The proposed draft EHCP will be sent to you and shared with all the professionals who contributed to the assessment. The EHCP Coordinator will contact you to talk about the content of the EHCP and ask about which education setting you want for your child.
You will then have 15 days to reply to the proposed draft EHCP with:
- any comments/changes you want to be considered
- to name the type of school (mainstream/special) and/or the specific school you want named in the EHCP
- to ask for a meeting with the LA if you want to talk about the EHCP
When you have replied to the LA, they must consult with the school you specified. The school must reply to the LA with its decision within 15 days.
If you ask for a specialist setting and the LA agrees, they will consult with suitable settings as well as the one identified by you. Another panel of professionals may need to make the final decision.
Weeks 19 to 20 - finalising the EHCP
The final EHCP will be issued naming a suitable educational placement. Your child’s EHCP will be shared with:
- the educational school or setting that is named in it
- all the professionals that gave information during the assessment process
Please note: The 20 week timescale is a legal timescale. Any extension is limited to certain exceptions – the regulations say that decisions must be made as soon as is practicable, so sooner where possible.
Next steps
If your child is under the age of 5 their EHCP will be reviewed every 6 months. If your child is over 5 the EHCP review takes place annually (namely an Annual Review).
An Annual Review gives you, your child, the LA, and the school or setting, a chance to reflect on the last year and suggest any changes.