Education Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans Process Mapping
Statutory timescales for assessment and EHC plan
A flowchart of the statutory timescales can be downloaded below.
Flowchart (108 KB)
- At every stage, the child and their parent and/or young person is involved fully, with their views and wishes taken into account.
- Ongoing Local Authority information gathering. Where a local authority requests co-operation of a body in securing information and advice the body must comply within 6 weeks.
- Maximum time for the whole process to be completed is 20 weeks.
0. What is an Education Health and Care Plan and the Graduated Response?
1. Request for assessment of a child and young person brought to the Local Authority’s attention
2. Local Authority decides whether to conduct an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment
3. If the Education Health and Care Needs Assessment is not agreed
The Local Authority notifies parents / young person of a decision and right to appeal within 6 weeks from the request for assessment.
4. If the Local Authority agree to an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment
The Local authority will notify the parent / young person of the decision within a maximum of 6 weeks from request for assessment.
5. The local authority gathers information for the Education Health and Care Assessment.
6. The Local authority decides whether an Education Health and Care Plan is needed.
6a. If the Local Authority agrees to issue an Education Health and Care Plan
The Local authority drafts a plan and sends it to parents / young person.
If it is necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an education, health and care plan, the SEND key worker will prepare a plan and notify parents or the young person and give the reasons for its decision.
7. Parent/young person has 15 calendar days to comment / express a preference for an educational setting and should also seek agreement of a personal budget
8. The Local Authority must consult with the governing body, principle or proprietor of the educational setting before naming them in the Education Health and Care Plan. The setting should respond within 15 calendar days
9. Following consultation with the parent/young person, the draft plan is amended where needed and issued as a final.
Local authority notifies parents/young person of rights to appeal.