Special Education Needs (SEN) or Disabilities (0-25 years)

SEN professionals must work closely with other relevant professionals involved in the child's life to ensure that the child's Education Health Careplan works in harmony with his/her Care Planand Personal Education Planso that it adds to, but does not duplicate, information about how education, health and care needs will be met. When referencing information contained within the EHC plan should only include relevant information to the child's SEN from the looked after children care plan. Where a child in care is being assessed for SEND it is vital to take account of information set out in their looked after children care plan and personal education plan. The Virtual School will also liaise directly with the SEND team and support in writing educational advice in relation to request for EHCP in addition to schools providing educational advice reports.

A considerable number of our SEND Post 16 children and young people are placed Out of Borough. Therefore, whilst Halton remain financially responsible, the authority in which the child lives holds the plan and is responsible for formally consulting. Please see further details on Belonging Regulations.

Belonging Regulations

'Belonging Regulations' refers to the Education (Areas to which Pupils and Students Belong) Regulations 1996 and are underpinned by DCSF guidance 2009. The SEN Code of Practice 2015 can be confusing as it cites that the area where the child is ordinarily resident has responsibility for the EHC plan and this is not strictly true for looked after children.

Where a child or young person is in foster care, the LA where they reside will assume the administrative responsibility for the EHC plan, the local authority where the child entered care retains financial responsibility. If a child or young person is in residential care, administrative responsibility may be retained by the LA where the child or young person entered care. If you have any queries about the belonging regulations, please contact Halton Virtual School for Children in Care in the first instance.