EHC plan review
The local authority must arrange for a review of a child or young person’s EHC plan at least annually or 6 monthly for a child under the age of 5 years.
The first review must be held within 12 months (or 6 monthly for a child under the age of 5 years) of the date of the issue of the EHC Plan.
The responsibility for organising and facilitating the meeting should be undertaken by the school, college or setting which the child or young person attends. The purpose of the EHC Plan review is to:
- Review the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC Plan and to make recommendations on what changes might need to be made to those outcomes and/or their support (including support provided through a Personal Budget) to help them achieve them
- Consider the continuing appropriateness of the EHC Plan in the light of the child or young person’s progress during the previous year or changed circumstances and whether changes are required
- Set new targets for the coming year and where appropriate, agree new outcomes
- The review of an EHC Plan of a young person in the school year in which they turn 14 years of age (Year 9) and every review thereafter must include a focus on preparing for adulthood including employment, independent living and participation in society.
The school, college or setting will gather and circulate information about the child or young person’s progress and, with at least 2 weeks notice, invite the following to attend the review:
- the child or young person
- the child’s or young person parents/carers
- relevant school/setting staff
- a representative from the local authority's Special Education Service
- involved education, health and care professionals
- SENDIASS Officer (where involved or where the parent/carer or young person has requested their support)
The review of the EHC Plan is undertaken using a person centred approach which places the child or young person and their family at the centre of the review meeting.
It does this by using a positive focus for reviewing the child or young person’s progress by starting with ‘what people like and admire about the child or young person’ as well as sharing ‘good things that have happened since the last review’.
However, this review of progress is equally pragmatic in that it goes on to look at ‘what is working’ as well as ‘what is not working’ from the perspective of the child or young person, family, school/setting and others. The meeting concludes with a consideration of ‘what is important to the child or young person’ both now and in the future with respect to better life outcomes and a final section which addresses questions to answer and issues to be resolved. This is then carried forward into action planning for the next 12 months as part of a new implementation plan.
This person centred review of progress supports the decision making where recommendations need to be made to the local authority about maintaining, amending or ceasing to maintain the Plan. The school, college or setting will write up a record of the review and send this to the local authority and everyone who attended the meeting within 2 weeks of the meeting.
Within 4 weeks of the review meeting and based on the annual review recommendations, the local authority completes the process by determining whether it proposes to maintain, amend or cease to maintain the plan. It must notify the child’s parents/carers or young person and the school/setting which the child or young person attends of its decision.
The local authority should also inform parents/carers or the young person of their right of appeal, the time limits for doing so and about independent information, advice and support as well as disagreement resolution and mediation services and right of appeal to SEND Tribunal.