What happens if we decide to do an EHC needs assessment for your child and who we get information from about your child's needs.
How we assess your child's needs
We ask any professionals that have been involved with your child's education, health and social care needs for a detailed report. We ask for:
- psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist
- educational advice and information from the manager, head teacher or principal of the early years setting, school or post-16 or other institution that your child goes to
- social care advice and information from social workers, family support workers, or social care practitioners
- health advice and information from any health care professionals who support your child
- a report from a community health provider which identifies your child's health needs and the provision required to meet these needs but this is only needed if your child is known to a specific community health service (or has been known) to that service within the last 12 months
If your child has not been seen by a community health service in the last 12 months then, from April 2021, the new Associate Designated Clinical Officers will be responsible for:
- gathering the health advice from both primary and secondary care
- discussing health concerns with (whenever possible) the child, young person and their parents to ensure all health needs are accurately captured
The Associate Designated Clinical Officers will also be able to refer to other community health services should they identify that this is required.
We'll also invite you to give us any other additional information and your views about your child's needs.
The professionals provide us with a range of information, including:
- your family's history, including a summary of initial concerns
- your child's communication and interaction needs, including their strengths and long term personal outcomes
- your child's cognition and learning needs, including recommended strategies and programmes
- your child's social, emotional and mental health needs, including specific short-term personal outcomes that are
- your child's sensory and physical needs
- your child's health needs, including how they manage any diagnosed condition
- your child's social care needs, including provision such as short breaks
This can take up to six weeks.
Once we've gathered all the information, it goes to our statutory Education, Health and Social Care Needs Assessment/ EHCP Decision and Moderation Group.
This group is where a decision is made about whether your child needs provision to be made by the issuing of an EHC Plan.
