The Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a specialist level of support designed for a small number of children and young people whose needs are more specialist and long-term. It brings together education, health, and care services to create a coordinated plan that supports a child or young person to achieve their full potential.
EHCPs are only put in place when a learner requires support that goes beyond what can reasonably be provided at the universal and targeted levels. They are highly personalised, focusing on individual strengths, needs, and outcomes, with clear provision outlined to ensure consistent and effective support.
What is an EHCP and who is it for
Although only a small proportion of children and young people will need an EHCP, for those who do, it plays a vital role in ensuring the right support is in place, the right professionals are involved, and the child’s voice and aspirations remain at the centre of planning.
How an EHCP is different from other plans
An EHCP is different from other school-based support plans because it sits at the specialist level and has a legal status.
Most children and young people with SEND will have their needs met through universal and targeted support, often recorded in school-based plans such as SEN Support plans, provision maps, or individual support plans. You can find out more about these support plans in our targeted section. These are managed and reviewed by settings and can be adapted flexibly as needs change.
An EHCP is:
- statutory (legally binding), meaning the provision written in the plan must be delivered
- the involvement of education, health, and care services all working together in a more specialist way
- issued and maintained by the local authority, not just an educational setting
- designed for learners with more long-term specialised needs
While school and setting-based plans focus on adjusting and enhancing support within available resources, an EHCP ensures additional, specialist provision is secured when a child or young person requires support beyond what is normally available.
In short, all EHCPs are part of SEND support, but only a small number of children and young people with the highest level of need will require one.
When to request an EHCP needs assessment
Deciding to request an EHCP needs assessment is an important step in ensuring a child or young person receives the right level of support at the right time. This should always be a child-centred decision, based on a clear understanding of their strengths, needs, and the impact on their learning and development.
An EHCP request is typically considered when despite strong inclusive teaching and targeted support, a child or young person continues to need more intensive, coordinated, and specialist provision to thrive.
This diagram shows how the council decides whether to carry out an education, health and care needs assessment (EHCNA) for a child or young person, and who supports with that decision.
An EHCNA is the process which decides whether a child or young person requires an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Frequency
EHCNA decisions are made on a weekly basis
Decisions
Assessment decisions made by EHCNA Team Lead
If we say yes
We will write to you and invite you to a meeting to explain the next steps.
If we say no
We will call you to explain and write to you after our conversation.