Introduction
The local authority will receive the annual review report. They must inform the family of their decision (in writing) in no more than 4 weeks. Their decision will be based on the documentation and attached evidence.
The local authority will make one of these following decisions:
Maintain the plan as it is
A new version of the plan will be dated and issued. Following the guidance in the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice 2015 that ‘not all plans are expected to be amended on a very frequent basis’, the local authority may decide to maintain the plan in its current form, despite the annual review report recommending that amendments need to be made.
Plans are long term, and needs are unlikely to significantly change enough within a 12 month period to need an update.
Amend the plan
A plan must be updated when a child or young person is at a transition point and due to move to the new setting. Or when there is evidence of a significant change of need.
We will create a revised plan called an ‘Amendment Notice’ and send it to families and the child or young person for their comments. This happens as soon as possible after the local authority has shared their decision to amend the plan. New sections to be added to the plan will be written in bold, and strikethrough will be used to show sections that are to be removed. From the date that the Amendment Notice was sent to families, the local authority then has a total of 8 weeks to issue a final amended plan.
- Week 1 – Amendment Notice issued and initial phone call offered
- Weeks 2 to 3 – consultation on Amendment Notice
- Weeks 4 to 6 – educational setting consultation and decision-making process, follow up call offered if change of placement agreed
- Weeks 7 to 8 – final EHC plan issued
Reassessment
An EHC needs re-assessment (sometimes called a reassessment of needs) is a formal process used to gather updated information about a child or young person’s educational, health, or social care needs following a significant change. It helps determine whether the existing EHC plan remains appropriate or needs updating. This process follows the same statutory steps as an initial EHC needs assessment, including gathering advice, consulting professionals, and reaching a decision.
Most changes to an EHC plan will be made through the annual review process and new information can be submitted through the annual review that can lead to an updated EHC plan. A re-assessment is likely to only be suitable where there has been a significant change of need and new advice is required from education, health and social care through the full process.
Cease the plan
The annual review process may result in the decision that the child or young person no longer needs an EHC plan, because special educational provision is no longer needed. When deciding whether young people aged 19 or over require special educational provision, the local authority must take account of whether the education or training outcomes specified in the EHC plan have been achieved. Find out more on our When an Education, Health and Care plan might end page.