Frequently asked questions about EHCP's:
What is the difference between a PEP and an EHCP:
The main difference between a Personal Education Plan (PEP) and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is that a PEP is a part of a child's care plan, while an EHCP is a legal document that requires additional support for a child with special educational needs (SEND):
PEP - A PEP is a statutory requirement for children in care between the ages of 4 and 18. It's a plan for a child's education that should outline what's currently happening and what should happen to help the child progress. A PEP is a shared responsibility of the school and the local authority, and it should be reviewed at least once per term.
EHCP - An EHCP is a legal document that states a child's special educational needs and requires the local authority to provide additional support. The local authority has a legal obligation to implement an EHCP.
When a child has both a PEP and an EHCP, the PEP should complement the EHCP and address the child's specific learning needs.
The main difference between an Individualised Education Plan (IEP) and an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) lies in their coverage and legal backing.
An IEP is determined by the school, focusing solely on a child's educational needs within that specific institution. It is not legally backed and lacks the comprehensive coverage of an EHCP.
On the other hand, an EHCP is legally binding, with the Local Authority having a legal obligation to implement it. An EHCP encompasses not only educational needs but also addresses social and health aspects, providing a more holistic and inclusive plan for children with special educational needs.
Can an EHCP be refused?
Your local authority may determine that an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) is unnecessary for your child, often when they believe that the Special Educational Needs (SEN) support within the school adequately addresses your child's needs.
If the local authority refuses an EHCP, they must inform you about your right to appeal, the time limit, the need to consider mediation and the availability of information, advice, support and disagreement resolution services.
The local authority has 16 weeks to say if they are not giving your child an EHCP, which starts when they receive the request for assessment from either you or the school.
Throughout this period, your child should continue receiving SEN support in school even without an EHCP.
Should you disagree with the local authority's decision regarding your child's EHCP entitlements, you have the option to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal.
You can appeal if you do not agree with the EHC plan your local authority has made, or if they:
- Refuse to carry out an EHC assessment or reassessment.
- Refuse to create an EHC plan after carrying out an assessment or reassessment.
- Refuse to change the sections of an existing EHC plan which are about education.
- Decide you or your child does not need an EHC plan any more.
What are the benefits of an EHCP?
Having an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) comes with numerous benefits.
Firstly, it secures additional funding for schools, allowing for extra support and services tailored to the child's needs.
The EHCP is a legally binding document, ensuring that the specified support outlined within the plan must be provided by the education provider.
This legal backing allows parents to address any issues through a tribunal if the Local Authority fails to deliver the outlined provisions.
An EHCP also covers a child's social, emotional, cognitive, and learning needs, regardless of Local Authority funding issues.
It designates a specific school, including the provisions that the school must provide, and spans until the child completes education or turns 25, encompassing further education and apprenticeships but not university.
What is the difference between an IEP and an EHCP?
An IEP is determined by the school, focusing solely on a child's educational needs within that specific institution. It is not legally backed and lacks the comprehensive coverage of an EHCP. On the other hand, an EHCP is legally binding, with the Local Authority having a legal obligation to implement it.
What is the difference between SEN support and EHCP?
An education, health and care ( EHC ) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.
Does every autistic child get an EHCP?
The majority of autistic children can cope in mainstream schools and don't necessarily need EHC plans. The reason that there is often a failure at this stage is that there isn't clarity over what support is available without a plan.
What does an EHCP entitle you to?
Children with an EHCP are usually entitled to extra one-to-one support in school (though not necessarily full-time). These children will have outside agencies involved in their support, such as SEN teachers, behavioural experts, or physiotherapists.
How much funding does an Ehcp child get?
For children with EHCPs, additional top up funds can be added to the £6000 the school are putting in as required. Any high needs top up is given for a named pupil and must be spent on that pupil's SEN provision as detailed in their plan.
Does an EHCP mean 1 to 1 support?
The school determines how best to allocate that funding. That may be through the use of specialist equipment, counselling, learning mentor support, group input, etc. It can mean that a child works 1:1 with an adult or there may be one or two other children with them too.
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