Children and young people sometimes need extra help in school, college or training. An education, Health and Care needs assessment will find out what extra support you need. If you need support above what your school or college can provide from their own SEN budget you may need an Education Health and Care Plan. This is often called an EHC plan or EHCP.
Download a printable version of this information (requires Adobe Reader)
The EHC needs assessment looks at what support you need in school or college. It is about getting information from you and people who support you and understand your strengths and needs.
You can request an EHC needs assessment yourself:
The SEND Team must tell you whether they are going to do the assessment within 6 weeks of getting your request. (In Kirklees this team is called SENDACT. In Calderdale it is called SEN Team).
If they do not agree to do an assessment, they must tell you why. You can appeal against this.
So that they can make the right decision about whether you will need an EHC plan the SEND Team will ask the people who help and support you in learning to tell them what support you need and ask them to write a report about it.
These people might include:
When the SEND Team have looked at all the information from the assessment they decide if you need an EHC plan. They may think that school or college can continue to support you, using their own SEN funds, without an EHC plan. If you don’t agree you can appeal against this.
They may issue an EHC plan but when you get it you don’t agree with what it says. If you don’t agree then you can say so.
Whatever you have to say must be listened to a by the SEND Team and everyone who supports you.
You can contact our team for legally based, free, confidential, impartial advice and support including:
We would be happy to hear from you on: