Overview
Once it is agreed a plan is necessary, we will prepare a draft version of the plan for you to view and comment on. This will be shared with you by week 17. You will have a minimum of 15 calendar days to record and submit your comments to us. We will then consider your feedback before issuing the final version of the EHCP. This is known as Stage 3 of the education health and care plan process.
Understanding the content
Under Regulation 12 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, an Education, Health and Care plan must have the following sections:
- Section A: the views, interests and aspirations of the child and his parents or the young person;
- Section B: the child or young person’s Special Educational Needs (SEN);
- Section C: health care needs which relate to their Special Educational Needs;
- Section D: social care needs which relate to their Special Educational Needs or to a disability;
- Section E: the outcomes sought for the child or young person;
- Section F: the special educational provision required to meet their Special Educational Needs;
- Section G: any health care provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities which result in the child or young person having Special Educational Needs;
- Section H: any social care provision required from social services under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, and/or reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities which result in the child or young person having Special Educational Needs;
- Section I: the name of the school or other institution to be attended by the child or young person, and the type of that institution (or just the type if no specific institution is named);
- Section J: details of the personal budget identified and any direct payments which will be made;
- Section K: copies of all of the advice and information obtained as part of the Education, Health and Care needs assessment. These are also called the Appendices.
Checking the draft
Somerset SENDIAS have a guide to checking your draft plan. It can help you to understand what should be in the plan and decide whether you want to ask for changes to be made.
If you need more time to look at and comment on the plan, for example, if you have been away, or you want to talk to other people about it, you can ask for more time. Please be aware that this may mean statutory deadlines will not be met.
Section I of the draft plan should be blank when you get it. When you return the draft plan to us, you will be asked whether you would like your child to continue going to their current school. If you don’t provide this information, you will be asked to say which nursery, school or post-16 institution or what type of school (for example mainstream or special) you would like your child to go to. Find out more on our Education Health and Care plans and school placements page.
Asking for changes to the draft
When you, and professionals, ask for changes to the draft plan, we may:
- issue a final plan with some or all the changes (these will be clearly noted)
- issue a final plan without the suggested changes
- make changes that we agree with, and re-issue a draft plan