Education health and care needs assessment - requests

Coronavirus (COVID 19) Information

EHC Assessments

We're working hard to keep the EHC plan process moving. Assessments for an EHC plan may look different as it becomes more difficult to do our work face to face. We may need to do more by telephone or video calls where possible. Our decision-making panels are moving to online meetings. We'll continue to review this.

Temporary EHCP legislative changes relating to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The government have legislated two tempory changes with effect from 1 May 2020 relating to educational and health care provision within an EHCP and timescales:

1. Section 42 of the CFA 2014 (duty to secure special educational provision and health care provision in accordance with EHC plan): the duty on LAs or commissioning health bodies to secure or arrange the provision is temporarily modified to a duty to use ‘reasonable endeavours’ to do so.  This temporary modification is until 31 May 2020 and will be reviewed before 1 June 2020.  It must be renewed monthly, where the Secretary of State decides it is still appropriate and proportionate.
2. The SEND (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 amend Regs that specify timescales that principally relate to EHC needs assessments and plans. Where it is not reasonably practicable, or is impractical, to meet that time limit for a reason relating to the incidence or transmission of coronavirus, the specific time limit will not apply -  process must be completed as soon as reasonably practicable.  The timescale temporary modifications are in place until 25 September 2020.

Useful documents:

• Staffordshire County Council - A notice from the Secretary of State for Education issued under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to modify Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014
• André Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser, Department of Education - slides on temporary legislative changes.
• Department for Education Guidance: EHC needs assessments and plans: guidance on temporary legislative changes relating to coronavirus (COVID-19)

Further information on:

• Education health and care needs assessments
• Education health and care needs assessment: criteria 
• EHC Hub User Guides

Forms - Parent, Carers and Young People Requests & Contributing Advice

• Parents, carers and young people over 16 can make an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment by completing the request form on the EHC Hub. Please follow the on screen guidance.  More detailed Hub guidance for parents and carers requesting a needs assessment.  See our EHC Hub Parent Carer Frequently Asked Questions for more information on Education Health and Care needs assessments requested on the EHC Hub.  
  
  For those parents/carers who do not wish to submit their request via the EHC Hub please complete the EHCNA Request Hub Form for Parents, Carers and Young People and email to sendreferrals@staffordshire.gov.uk.   Your application will be managed via the EHC Hub,  however all correspondence will be sent to you via the post.   A PDF and Word version of the request form is available. 
  
  For further advice please contact the Single Point of Access on 0300 111 8007 (option 2).
  
  
• EHC Hub User Guides are available for parents requesting a needs assessment and for those contributing advice to an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment.

Forms - Practitioner Requests & Contributing Advice

Education providers, for those who have registered on the Education Health and Care Hub, please log in and click  " + new request" button to create a request for a new assessment.

For those providers not yet registered on the Hub, please contact:

Phone:  0300 111 8007
Email: sendehchub@staffordshire.gov.uk  

Preschool children can be referred through the early years forum if appropriate.

• Parental Consent Form - practitioners please complete the parent consent form and upload as supporting information on the EHC Hub.
• Health Care Plans - Medical needs.  If the child or young person has a current school health care plan, practitioners should complete the medical form to include with the Education Health and Care Needs Assessment request.
• Provision Mapping of Support.  Please complete the Provision Mapping form and upload to the EHC Hub when you submit the child or young person's request.

Useful EHC Hub video guides for education providers:

• Account registration

• SENCo – How to request an assessment

• SENCo/Professional contributing advice towards an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment.