EHC Plans
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
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About EHCPs
Most children and young people will have their needs met through universal mainstream provision for example, in school via SEN Support. EHC Plans provide support over and above that which is ordinarily available within mainstream education settings and aim to support access to learning and development of independence.
EHC Plans are for children and young people from birth up to age 25. EHC Plans provide statutory protection in respect of educational provision. They are intended to be holistic and centred on the child or young person’s needs and because they are person-centred and contain an ‘All About Me’ section.
An EHC Plan is only provided after an assessment with input from the family and relevant professionals, and once finalised the EHC Plan will be reviewed annually.
Role of the SENCO and EHCCO
Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) work in educational settings and Education, Health and Care Coordinators (EHCCOs) support them. A parent/carer should always speak to the SENCO for help and guidance at first, as they work with the EHC Coordinators and can go to them for advice if needed.Learn more about these different roles and how they work.
What EHC Plans say
The EHC Plan will detail the child/young person’s educational needs and their health/care needs which affect their education. There are four main areas of SEN, described in the 2014 SEN Code of Practice:
Cognition and Learning
These include specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties
Communication and Interaction
These include speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorders/conditions
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
These include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder, obsessive defiance disorder and diagnosed mental health conditions
Sensory and/or Physical
These include visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, and physical disabilities