What does a good EHCP look like?
A good EHC Plan should be easy to read and understand. It should not be an overly lengthy document (usually 10-15 pages) but use the information provided to succinctly and clearly reflect the unique qualities and circumstances of the child or young person it is written for.
The attached document, EHCP PFA Outcomes, provides examples of smart outcomes focussing on independence across all age groups. They support settings to ensure that outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs are focussed on our local area vision of 'living my best life'.
Outcomes can be focussed round the 4-key preparing for adulthood strands:
- Learning and work skills
- Friends, relationships and community inclusion
- Preparing for Independent living
- Health and Wellbeing
PEPs should be seen as an integral aspect of the school's overall provision and reflect the graduated approach and the plan, do review cycle. If a child also has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) then their specific learning needs will be addressed in the PEP.
A good Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is clear, concise, and understandable for everyone involved. It should be based on decisions made with the child or young person and their parents, and it should include:
- Descriptions of needs: A clear description of the child's special educational needs, health needs, and social care needs
- Outcomes: SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound) outcomes that describe what the child can do and their achievements
- Provision: Details of what will be provided to meet the child's needs, including who will provide it, how often, and how
- Forward-looking planning: Anticipation of important transition points in the child's life
- Coordination: A plan for how education, health, and care provision will be coordinated
- Accessibility: The plan should be in the language or form of communication used by the child and their parents
A good EHCP also considers alternative ways of providing support, such as a Personal Budget. It should include informal and formal support from statutory agencies.
Poor EHCPs can lead to children being wrongly categorised as having "bad behaviour" and excluded from school.
Education, Health and Care plans: Examples of good practice
The first part of the attached document Education, Health and Care plans examples of good practice includes excerpts from real EHC plans that were collected through the local Independent Support network. In the second part there are two EHC plans which draw on real examples but the plans themselves relate to fictional children.
We expect these examples to be useful to those contributing to EHC needs assessments and to those writing plans as well as to parents, children and young people and those supporting them. We intend this document to provoke a debate about the key features of high quality EHC plans. We invite other organisations to identify good EHC plans that exemplify the best for children with a range of different needs and for whom a wide range of outcomes are sought. In turn, we hope that this will build a body of evidence about what works.
This document provides examples for discussion and is not advocating any particular approach to meeting needs. We were not party to the information and advice provided in support of the plans and are therefore making no judgement as to whether the particular provision is or is not appropriate for any particular child or young person.
Education, Health and Care Plans: examples of good practice from year 9 and beyond
Our previous resource (above) contains a wide range of tips and examples that are relevant across the age range for children and young people with EHC plans.
In response to feedback from the sector, we have developed this guide which seeks to build on the first resource with a particular focus on how plans should evolve for young people from year 9 reviews onwards, as their journey into adulthood builds momentum. We would recommend that you use this resource to complement the first guide.
The purpose of this document is to support the development of skills in writing good quality EHC plans that meet both the letter and the spirit of the Children and Families Act 2014.
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