EHCPs and EHCNAs
About Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and Education Health Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs).
Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs)
What is an EHCP?
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) describe your child’s special educational needs (SEN). It explains the help they will get to meet their needs. An EHCP also includes any health and care provision that is needed. It is a legal document written by the local authority and is intended to ensure that children and young people receive the support they need.
EHCPs are for children and young people who need more support than their school or other setting can provide. The plan can start from a child’s birth and continue into further education and training.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person. This secures the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepares them for adulthood. (9.2).
Who needs an EHCP?
EHCPs are for children and young people who have a special educational need (SEN) that cannot be met by the support that is available at their early years provider, school or college.
Most children and young people with SEN will have help given to them without the need for an EHCP. This is called SEN support.
The purpose of SEN support is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning objectives that have been set for them.
Some children and young people may not make the expected progress even with this help. When this happens, the local authority should carry out an education health care needs assessment (EHCNA). A few children and young people have such significant needs that an EHCNA should not be delayed.
You or your child’s school can request that the local authority carry out an EHCNA. When this assessment is finished the local authority decide whether to issue an EHCP.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
In considering whether an EHCNA is necessary, the local authority should consider whether there is evidence that despite the early years provider, school or post-16 institution having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress. (9.14).
Understanding support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
5 mins
How do I get an EHCP?
Before you can get an EHCP, you have to apply for an Education Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA).
The EHCNA assesses whether your child or young person needs an EHCP.
More details are below.
EHCNAs
What is an EHCNA?
An EHCNA is a detailed look at a child or young person’s special educational needs (SEN) and the support they may need to learn. Local authorities are responsible for carrying out EHCNAs under the Children and Families Act 2014.
Having an EHCNA is an essential part of the process of getting an EHCP.
How do I get an EHCNA?
You, or your child or young person's setting, can apply for an EHCNA to the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT). The team will decide whether your child meets the criteria for having an EHCNA.
Find out about the process on the How to get an EHCP page.