Education Health and Care Plans

What is an Education Health Care (EHC) needs assessment?

An EHC needs assessment is a detailed look at the special educational needs (SEN) of a child or young person and the support he or she may need in order to learn.  It is a legal process carried out by the local authority and not the same as the assessments carried out by your child’s teachers or other professionals. An EHC needs assessment can also be called a statutory assessment.

Read more about EHC needs assessments here

Education Health Care Plans

An EHC needs assessment might lead to your child receiving an EHC Plan. This is a legal document that describes a child’s or young person’s special educational, health and social care needs.

Find out more about Education Health Care Plans here

Transferring from Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA) to EHC Plans

If your child is in Post 16 education such as the Isle of Wight College and has a Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA) this will continue.  If you believe that your young person may need an Education Health Care Plan, your or your child can request an EHC Needs assessment at any time and if the LA does not agree with your request then this decision can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal.  From 1st September 2016 all young people up to the age of 25 who have an LDA and are in further education and training and who need an EHC Plan must have one.