Who is eligible for an Education, Health and Care Assessment?

  • Statutory Assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan is intended only for those children and young people with the most severe and complex SEND
  • This is defined locally as a child or young person whose needs cannot be met from the resources normally available through the Local Offer
  • This is likely to include all children who attend a special school. It may also apply to a very small number of children who attend mainstream school.
Eligibility criteria for undertaking an EHC Assessment

An Education, Health and Care needs assessment may be required for a child / young person with SEND aged 0 to 25 years if the following apply.

  • The child or young person:
    • Has severe and/or complex6 long term needs which affect everyday life
      Requires provision and resources which are above those normally available in a mainstream setting through Elements 1 and 2
    • Requires intensive and longer term help and support from more than one agency
    • Is making limited or no progress despite high levels of support and purposeful interventions.
  • There must be evidence that a graduated response has already been put in place by the school or setting (e.g. appropriate assessment and interventions including support and resources available through the Local Offer.
  • An EHC Needs Assessment will only be undertaken where the level of severity / complexity of the child or young person’s needs requires access to services over and above those offered at a universal or targeted level as set out in the Local Offer and within this document.
Local Decision Making

To determine whether or not an EHC needs assessment is required, the LA must be satisfied that the school / setting has provided sufficient evidence to address the following questions.

  1. Does the child have a highly significant barrier to learning in comparison with others of her/his age?
  2. Is there evidence of purposeful intervention by the school / other agencies?
  3. Has the setting sought advice from external professionals?
  4. Has the setting responded to advice from external professional specialist, including the development of SMART targets?
  5. Has the child or young person’s progress been reviewed over time?
  6. Has the setting provided clear evidence that, despite using delegated funding to the child / young person, they have not made adequate progress?
  7. Are the needs SOCIAL:

Serious –
On-going –
Complex –
Impacting on life and learning,
And
Life long – long term?

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