Statutory assessment process

If an Education Heath Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) is agreed, we will write to you to ask your views and your child or young persons views.

We will also write to professionals to collect information about the child’s needs, the SEN provisions needed to meet those needs and the type of place where that provision can be made.

We will collect information from relevant people across the education, health, and social care systems. At the end of the statutory assessment, we will decide whether it is necessary to issue a plan.

The statutory assessment process takes up to 20 weeks to be completed. The timescales summarise key points in the process

• A request is received by the council. A letter is sent to the parent carer asking for more information.
• From week 6, a panel meeting called Education Health Care Needs Assessment meeting is held.
  • If the assessment is agreed, a letter is sent to parents and advice from professionals is requested.
  • If the assessment is not agreed a letter is sent to parents with details of why it was refused.
• From week 12, another panel is held to review all the reports.
• By week 16:
  • If a plan is issued, a draft EHC plan is issued to the parent to review and respond to within 2 weeks.
  • If a plan is not agreed, a letter is sent to parent explaining the reasons why it is not agreed.
• Week 20, a final EHC plan is issued, and the implementation of the plan begins.
  • An implementation meeting is organised by the school/placement.