EHC Needs Assessment Overview
What is an EHC Needs Assessment (EHCNA)?
An EHCNA is an assessment of your child’s or young person’s (aged 16-25) education, health and social care needs.
- It is a legal process, with several steps which may result in an EHC Plan being issued.
- An EHCNA requires several professional assessments to happen.
- The EHCNA steps and timescales must be followed by law.
- The process starts (the ‘clock starts ticking’) from when the Local Authority receives the EHCNA Request.
Who can request (ask for) an EHC Needs Assessment?
- You,
- Your child if they are a young person (aged 16-25) or,
- Their education setting (nursery, school, or college).
Useful information: For children aged 0-16, you or the education setting can make the request. If your child is a young person (aged 16-25) asks you to or does not have the Mental Capacity (for example, is not able to understand, remember or communicate decisions about the educational support they need) you can make the request on their behalf.
Who can request (ask for) an EHC Needs Assessment?
- You, your young person, or their education setting can make the request at any time.
- Normally, requests are made if your child’s or young person’s education setting, and you think they need money or help than the setting can provide.
- It is always a good idea to talk to your child’s or young person’s education setting about why you are thinking of putting in parental EHCNA request.
Useful information: An EHCNA, can only be requested if your child or young person has, or may have, SEN (not just health or social care needs).
How is an EHC Needs Assessment request made?
Education Setting (or Professionals) Request
- If your child’s or young person’s education setting makes a request, they will need to complete an EHC Needs Assessment Professionals Request Form (DOCX, 284KB).
Useful information: You and your child or young person must be involved and be at the centre the whole process, including yours and their views, wishes and feelings.
Parental Request
- If you would like to make the request, then you can use our EHC Needs Assessment request template (DOCX, 25KB).
Useful Information: If you make the request, the EHC Needs Assessment process will not be quicker than the education setting submitting it. However, if you would rather the request goes in sooner than the education settings timescale, then you have the option to put in the request yourself.
You can also put in a request if your child or young person’s education setting does not agree to make the request, because they feel your child or young person is making the appropriate progress with SEN Support they are providing. You can make an EHC Needs Assessment Request at any time.
How long does the EHC Needs Assessment process take?
- It takes twenty weeks from the day the Local Authority receives and logs the request - to the end of the process, where a Final EHC Plan is issued.
Useful Information: Please note, not all EHC Needs Assessment Requests result in the EHC Need Assessment being agreed to.
Furthermore, if an EHC Needs Assessment Request is agreed, there is no guarantee that at the end of the assessment an EHC Plan will be issued.