Statutory Assessment

An Education, Health and Care Plan is a legal document which describes your child's difficulties and the special help that is needed to meet those difficulties.

How is an Education, Health and Care Plan produced?

The Local Authority will carefully consider all the information collected during the assessment and we will write a Plan for your child if it is clear that agreed criteria have been met. These criteria broadly cover the level of difficulty shown by the child, and what has been done to address those difficulties.

How does a Plan help us meet the needs of your child?

All mainstream schools are required to contribute the first £6,000 of additional educational support for a pupil from their notional SEN budget. Pupils should only require an Education, Health and Care Plan if they need support above what is ordinarily available. Find out what Coventry expects schools to put in place before a request for an EHCP.

Therefore in only the most exceptional circumstances will a Plan be required to provide additional funding to the school.

We will discuss the contents of the Plan with you and the school to agree how best the Plan can describe what special help is needed. We will always begin by trying to meet your child's needs in a mainstream school although in some cases it may be necessary to consider the provision available within specialist provision.

Who can you talk to about Education, Health and Care Plans?

If you would like more information about the arrangements for producing and reviewing Education, Health and Care Plans in Coventry you may wish to talk to your child's educational provider or to the Statutory Assessment Service. You can also ask the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service for impartial information and advice.

Mediation/Tribunal

Whilst we will try to ensure that the Education Health and Care needs assessment and/or Plan are co-produced with children, young people and their families, sometimes there may be disagreement for which a solution is difficult to find. In Coventry, we aim to find this solution in one of three ways:

• Informal resolution – this is normally done through the EHC Plan co-ordinator and the family, who can access support from a third-party such as the local SEND IASS.
• Mediation
• First tier SEND Tribunal