Newham

Making your education health and care plan

If we decide that your child needs an education, health and care (EHC) plan, we will work with you and your child to put it together.

On this page you can find out about what an EHC plan should include, how we prepare a plan and how we review it.

What an EHC plan must include

The plan must include:
  • your child's views and hopes
  • your child's special educational needs, the special educational services to meet those needs
  • the name or type of early education, school or college needed
  • your child's health needs and the health services to meet those needs
  • your child's care needs and the care services to meet those needs outcomes (or goals).
If you choose to have a personal budget, the plan must include clear information on:
  • personal budgets, including direct payments
  • support available to help manage personal budgets.
It must also include:
  • all the information collected during the assessment
  • information about how to appeal.
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How we put an EHC plan together

The EHC co-ordinator will pull together all the reports on your child’s education, health and care needs. He or she may meet you and your child to talk about it and about what your child wants to achieve.

We often use a facilitator who is the person who will lead the EHC plan meeting and will help you to prepare for it. Together you will talk about who should be at the meeting and what will happen.
The time between you asking us for an assessment and us finishing the plan should be no more than 20 weeks.
Where parents express a particular preference for an independent provider of a particular intervention or programme that they wish for their child or young person, the SEN team will consult with that provider in the same way as other providers in the context of the EHC process. 

The final naming of a provision in a plan will take into account its appropriateness in the context of: 
  • ​the needs of the child or young person based upon professional reports
  • the distance and cost of travel
  • the responsible management of public money.
 
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The EHC plan meetings

At the meetings to talk about the plan will be:
  • you and your child (and a friend or relative if you wish)
  • the facilitator, who will help you prepare for the meeting
  • the EHC co-ordinator
  • education, health and care professionals if needed
  • any other person you or we think should be there.
The panel looks at the information gathered by the co-ordinator. It then agrees or amends the information which will become the plan.

The co-ordinator writes up the plan and there is another plan meeting to agree it.
We will send you a copy of the plan along with a letter explaining what it means and your right to appeal.
 
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Review of your child’s EHC plan

At least once a year there will be a meeting to talk about your child's progress and his or her EHC plan. This is called a review. At the meeting, we will:
  • check that your child is making progress
  • set targets for the coming year
  • check to see if he or she still needs the same plan or whether it should be changed.
Your child’s school will arrange the meeting.
 

Who goes to the review meeting

Your child's headteacher will invite:
  • you (you can also bring along a friend or relative) 
  • your child
  • a teacher who knows your child well
  • someone from the council
  • any other professional who is involved with your child.

What happens at the review meeting

We will ask everyone to prepare a report, including you. When you write your report, you need to include:
  • what progress you think your child has made in the past year
  • whether there are any major changes that may or have affected your child's progress
  • what you hope your child will achieve in the coming year.

What happens after the review

The school writes a report and sends it to us. The school will suggest:
  • any targets for the next year
  • any changes to the statement
  • whether the EHC plan should continue.
If we think your child’s EHC plan needs to change, we will write to you and your child’s school about what we think ought to be included.
 

Changing school

When your child is in Year 5 and Year 9, there will be a review meeting to plan the change of school. If your child changes school, we will send you a new copy of the statement.

Will my child always need a plan?

Some children only need an EHC plan for a short time. An annual review may suggest that the EHC plan ends. If we plan to end a EHC plan, we will talk to you about it. If you are not happy with our decision you can appeal against it. We tell you how to do this in the letters we send to you.
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Where to get advice if your child has special educational needs

Teachers at your child's school will help you with any questions you may have.

You can also get advice from:

Newham Parent Partnership Service
The Web Building
Ground Floor
49–51 The Broadway
Stratford
London
E15 4BQ
 
Tel: 020 3373 2871 or 020 3373 2869
Map showing Newham Parent Partnership Service
 
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What to do if you’re unhappy with our decisions

If you are unhappy with our decisions, go to our Appeals and complaints page.
 
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Related documents

Contact us

  • 0-25 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEN) Service
    London Borough of Newham
    Newham Dockside
    1000 Dockside Road
    London
    E16 2QU

    020 8430 2000