Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
Useful Information Coronavirus COVID-19
We have put together some helpful information and support that you may find helpful during the current Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
These can be accessed on the dedicated page for Help and Information: Coronavirus COVID-19
Ministerial Letters during COVID-19 pandemic and the Council's update
To all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them
NEW – Minister Ford open letter to the SEND sector 9.11.2020
- Minister Ford’s open letter to SEND sector schools opening 30.5.2020
- Joint Dept for Health & Social Care and Dept for Education Ministerial Letter 30.4.2020
Halton Borough Council’s update
We are committed to continue to support the EHC Plan process, however, not all the assessment advice will be immediately available.Assessments for an EHC Plan may look different as these are not currently being undertaken face to face. We have moved to do this work by telephone or video calls where possible. Our decision-making panels will still take place but this work will be done remotely. We will continue to review these necessary changes.
Assessment Team
Team email is [email protected]
Eileen Picton | Lead for Assessment & Provision | [email protected] | 0151 511 7461 |
Chris Harrison | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 7305 |
Suzanne Sothern | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 7961 |
Mark Baker | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 6739 |
Catherine McCudden | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 8419 |
Philip Ball | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 7117 |
Susan Paine | Assessment Co-ordinator | [email protected] | 0151 511 7191 |
What is an EHC Plan?
It is a person-centred plan that puts you (children, young people and families) at the centre of the assessment and planning process making sure your views are heard and understood to increase your choice and control
All Halton children and young people who have significant special educational needs and meet specific criteria within a graduated response, may undergo an Education Health and Care (EHC) Assessment, which could lead to an EHC Plan.
The EHC Plan is a personalised to meet the needs and outcomes for each child or young person, what they want to achieve now and the future and focused on what is important for each child or young person
- Outcomes Toolkit can help planning ahead what you want to do at different ages
- Person Centred Planning Approaches
- EHC Plan Disclaimer
The EHC Plan will ...
- be clear about how much things cost, have agreed timescales to make sure that it is updated and reviewed annually by the school/setting
- transfer if still appropriate with your child or the young person if they change services, schools or leave school to go to college, work-related training or an apprenticeship
- cease when the education or training outcomes detailed in the Education, Health and Care Plan have been achieved
- not put children and young people at a disadvantage, it will meet the statutory obligations required under current legislation, including a right of appeal
Who is it for?
It is for children and young people who have complex and severe special educational needs and disabilities and where an assessment of education, health and social care needs has been agreed by the professionals involved with child/young person. It is available from birth to age 25.
Guidance says EHC plan should be issued when the local authority considers the special educational needs of the child cannot be reasonably provided by a mainstream early years provider, school and/or post 16 institution
EHC Plan Assessment Flowchart-Timetable
The EHC Plan Flowchart outlines the process over the 20-week timescale
Assessment Process Explained
An Assessment Co-ordinator will work together with you and your child or the young person and the other people involved:
- to say what’s working, what’s not and what you think needs to change
- gather information from the other people involved
- arrange a meeting for you all to agree the outcomes and how you think they can best be met
- to make the right decisions for you as a family
The whole process takes a maximum of 20 weeks during this period all the people involved will meet to decide what support you might be eligible for which will help meet the agreed outcomes
SEND Privacy Notice
Halton Borough Council Services for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) collect and hold information about you in order to carry out its duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 in relation to statutory assessment processes and the ongoing monitoring of children and young people who have education, health and care plans.
For further information please see the SEND Privacy Notice
Personal Budgets
Wheelchair Personal Budget
Education Personal Budget
- Personal Budgets Policy
- Personal Budgets Summary for Parents and Young People
- Personal Budgets Easy Read Guide
Making it Personal Video Clip
Short Breaks Guide
- Short Breaks and Personal Budgets Guidance
- More information is available on Halton Short Breaks
Continuing Healthcare – Health Personal Budget
Personal Health Budget video
EHC Plan Exemplar and Checklist
- EHCP Exemplar EHC Plans – Examples of Good Practice is to support the development of skills in writing good quality Education Health and Care (EHC) Plans
- IPSEA EHC Plan Checklist provides a helpful explanation of the different sections that are contained within an EHC Plan
Making Decisions?
This Council for Disabled Children have produced a Decision Making Toolkit
which can be used by social workers, health professionals, school,college staff, parents/carers, families and anyone working directly with children and young people to support them to make their own decisions and to participate as fully as possible in decisions made on their behalf.
The toolkit includes a Best Interests Checklist for assisting this process when supporting a young person that lacks capacity (Mental Capacity Act 2005 code of practice).
Planning Live
This was a 2-day workshop which the local authority hosted to allow several young people, their families and the different multi-agency professionals involved in the process to come together and review the EHC Plans. The Video Clip below was produced from the day by the young people involved
Young People in Custody
SEND Youth Custody Legal Framework
Further supporting information is available from the Council for Disabled Children
Specialist Teachers
Ami McNamee | Lead for Specialist Teaching Advisory and Autism | [email protected] | 0151 511 8571 |
Judith Hughes | Specialist Teacher Cognition & Learning | [email protected] | 0151 511 6955 |
Julie Metcalf
Lyndsey Hignett
Lisa Mart |
Lead Teacher of the Deaf and Teacher for Visual Impairment
Specialist Teacher Hearing Impaired
Specialist Teacher Hearing Impaired |
|
0151 511 7065
0151 511 7449
0151 511 6169 |
Cre Dyas | SEND Inclusion Outreach | [email protected] | 0151 511 6086 |
Stacey Holleran | Acting Lead for Specialist Teaching Advisory | [email protected] | 0151 511 6061 |