What Is an EHCP? A Guide for Parents and Carers

About this guide

This guide is written for parents and carers who are trying to understand what an EHCP is, often at a point where school is not going as well as everyone hoped. It explains the process in plain English, without assuming that you already know the terminology.

The law and guidance described here apply to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different systems with different documents, terms and rights, so information written for England will not transfer across.

What does EHCP stand for?

EHCP stands for Education, Health and Care plan. You will also see it written as EHC plan, which is the term used in the legislation and in official guidance. Both refer to the same document.

You may still hear older terms used informally. EHC plans replaced statements of special educational needs and Learning Difficulty Assessments under the Children and Families Act 2014, and the transfer from those older documents has long since been completed.

What is an EHCP?

An EHCP is a legal document, issued and maintained by a local authority, for a child or young person aged 0 to 25 who needs more support than can reasonably be provided through the arrangements a school or setting normally makes for children with special educational needs.

It describes the child or young person's special educational needs, the outcomes being worked towards, and the special educational provision needed to meet those needs. It also records relevant health and social care needs and provision.

What makes an EHCP different from other support plans is its legal weight. Under section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the local authority must secure the special educational provision specified in the plan, and the responsible health commissioning body must arrange any health care provision specified in it. That duty does not depend on budgets or staffing being convenient.

SEND, SEN Support, assessment and plan: how the terms fit together

These four terms are often used interchangeably in conversation, which causes a great deal of confusion. They mean different things.

• SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. It is a broad description, not a status that is granted. A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
• SEN Support is the support a mainstream school, college or early years setting puts in place itself, without an EHCP. It is the route most children with SEND follow, and it is expected to be planned, delivered and reviewed in a structured way.
• An EHC needs assessment is the local authority's statutory assessment process. It gathers advice from education, health and care professionals and from the family, so the authority can decide whether a plan is needed.
• An EHCP is the plan that may follow that assessment. An assessment does not automatically lead to a plan.

Most children and young people with SEND are supported well through SEN Support and do not have, or need, an EHCP. Our page on getting more support at school explains how that everyday support is meant to work.

What is an EHCP designed to achieve?

The purpose of an EHCP is not simply to record that a child has difficulties. It is to set out clearly what needs to happen so that the child or young person can make progress and move towards agreed outcomes.

The SEND Code of Practice describes plans as focusing on the outcomes a child or young person is working towards, drawing education, health and care support together into a single, coordinated document rather than leaving families to hold the pieces together themselves.

For older students, the emphasis shifts towards preparing for adulthood, including employment, independent living, participating in the community and staying healthy. From Year 9 onwards, reviews are expected to include this longer-term planning.

It is worth being realistic. A plan is a mechanism for securing provision; it is not in itself a guarantee of any particular outcome, and the quality of plans varies. What a plan can do is make the required provision specific and enforceable.

Who might need an EHCP?

An EHCP may be appropriate where a child or young person has special educational needs that cannot reasonably be met through the provision normally available in their setting, even when that setting has taken purposeful action to identify, assess and meet those needs.

Plans can cover children and young people from birth to age 25. For a young person over 16 who is no longer in education or training, the local authority may cease a plan, but the age range itself extends to 25 where the young person remains in education or training.

Does my child need a diagnosis first?

No. The legal test concerns special educational needs and the provision required to meet them, not a diagnostic label. A diagnosis can be useful evidence, and it may help everyone understand a child better, but the absence of one is not in itself a lawful reason to refuse an assessment.

Equally, a diagnosis does not create an automatic entitlement to a plan. Two children with the same diagnosis may need very different levels of support.

What is an EHC needs assessment?

An EHC needs assessment is a coordinated assessment carried out by the local authority. It is not a single test or appointment. It is a process of gathering written advice and information about a child or young person's needs, the outcomes sought and the provision required.

The legal test for carrying out an assessment is set out in section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014. The local authority must carry out an assessment where the child or young person has or may have special educational needs, and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan.

The words "may" and "may be necessary" matter. The threshold for assessment is lower than the threshold for issuing a plan. An assessment is how the authority finds out; it does not require the family to have already proved the case.

When might a child or young person need an EHC needs assessment?

There is no checklist that decides this, and no fixed number of terms of support that has to be completed first. In practice, families and settings often start to consider an assessment when a pattern like this emerges:

• Support has been put in place, adjusted and reviewed, and progress is still not what would be expected.
• Progress only happens with a level of individual support that is well beyond what the setting normally provides.
• Needs span more than one area, for example learning alongside communication, sensory or health needs.
• Attendance, wellbeing or the ability to access the school day is being significantly affected.
• A significant transition is approaching and the level of support needed is unlikely to be sustainable without a plan.

The SEND Code of Practice says local authorities should consider whether, despite the setting having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the child's needs, the child has not made expected progress. It sets out the kinds of evidence they should pay particular attention to, including attainment and rate of progress, the nature and extent of the needs, the action already taken, and physical, emotional, social and health development.

Some local authorities publish local criteria, such as a required level of spend or a required period of SEN Support. Guidance of that kind can describe local practice, but it does not replace the legal test set out in the Act. If you are weighing this up, our page on considering an EHC needs assessment takes you through the practical steps.

Who can request an EHC needs assessment?

Under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014, a request for an EHC needs assessment can be made by:

• the child's parent;
• a young person aged 16 to 25 (from the end of compulsory school age, the young person can make the request themselves);
• a person acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institution, ideally with the family's knowledge and agreement.

In addition, anyone else who thinks an assessment may be necessary can bring a child or young person to the local authority's attention, including health and social care professionals, early years practitioners, youth offending teams and family friends. The authority must then consider whether an assessment is needed.

You do not need the school's permission or support to make a request as a parent, although a request that includes the school's evidence is usually stronger. A request should be made in writing to the local authority, and it is sensible to keep a dated copy.

What happens during the assessment process?

The process is governed by timescales set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. The main ones are:

1. Within 6 weeks of the request, the local authority must decide whether to carry out an EHC needs assessment and tell you its decision.
2. If it agrees to assess, it seeks written advice and information from the required sources. Those asked for advice must normally respond within 6 weeks.
3. If it decides not to issue a plan after assessing, it must tell you within 16 weeks of the original request.
4. If it decides to issue a plan, it sends you a draft plan and you have at least 15 days to comment on it and to express a preference for a particular school or setting.
5. Within 20 weeks of the request, the final EHC plan must be issued.

The regulations allow for a small number of specific exceptions to these timescales, for example where the setting is closed for at least four weeks. Staff shortages and general pressure on the service are not among them.

Delay is unfortunately common in many areas. If timescales are being missed, it is worth putting your concern in writing, keeping a record of dates, and seeking independent advice about the options available to you.

What information and evidence may be considered?

During an assessment the local authority must seek advice and information from a defined set of sources, unless that advice already exists and everyone agrees it remains sufficient. This includes:

• the child's parent or the young person;
• educational advice, usually from the current school or setting;
• medical advice from a health care professional;
• psychological advice from an educational psychologist;
• advice from social care;
• advice from anyone else the parent or young person reasonably requests;
• for a young person in or beyond Year 9, advice about preparing for adulthood and independent living.

Your own account carries real weight here. Parents and carers see things that no professional report captures: how the school day affects the evening, what recovery looks like at home, what has been tried, and what your child says about it.

What is useful to gather

• A short written history of concerns, with dates.
• Copies of school support plans, provision maps or SEN Support reviews.
• Reports from any professionals already involved, including health.
• Notes or emails from meetings with school.
• Attendance information, where attendance has been affected.
• Your child's own views, in whatever form suits them.

Where health needs affect access to education, our page on health needs and school looks at how those needs are recorded and supported in a school setting.

What happens if the local authority agrees to issue an EHCP?

You will first receive a draft plan. The draft will not name a school or other institution in Section I; that section is left blank at this stage precisely so that you can express a preference.

You have at least 15 days to comment on the draft, request changes, ask for a meeting with the local authority, and say which school or setting you would prefer. This is an important opportunity, and it is worth using it carefully rather than quickly.

The local authority must consult the setting you name. Where you express a preference for a maintained school, academy, further education college or other institution of a type listed in section 38 of the Act, the authority must name it unless it would be unsuitable for the child's age, ability, aptitude or needs, or attendance would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.

Once the final plan is issued, the naming of the school in Section I creates a duty on that school to admit the child, and the provision in Section F must be secured.

What happens if the local authority decides not to issue an EHCP?

There are two points at which a local authority can say no: it can decide not to carry out an assessment, or it can carry out an assessment and then decide that special educational provision does not need to be made through a plan.

In either case, the authority must notify you of the decision and its reasons, and must tell you about your right to appeal, about mediation, and about where to get independent information and advice.

Where an assessment has been carried out but no plan is issued, the information gathered is not wasted. The reports usually contain detailed recommendations that the school can act on through SEN Support, and it is reasonable to ask for a meeting to agree how they will be used.

A decision can also be revisited if things change. A refusal is a decision about the position at that time, not a permanent judgement.

What does an EHCP contain?

The content of a plan is prescribed in law. Every EHC plan must be set out in sections labelled A to K, though local authorities use their own layouts and house styles within that framework.

The single most important part for most families is Section F, the special educational provision. That is the section the local authority must secure. Provision written vaguely, for example as "access to speech and language support as appropriate", is much harder to hold anyone to than provision that is specific and quantified.

Understanding the different sections of an EHCP

• Section A — the views, interests and aspirations of the child and their parents, or of the young person.
• Section B — the child or young person's special educational needs.
• Section C — health needs related to their SEN or disability.
• Section D — social care needs related to their SEN or disability.
• Section E — the outcomes sought, including those relating to preparing for adulthood.
• Section F — the special educational provision required. This is the section the local authority must secure.
• Section G — health provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities that result in the child having SEN.
• Section H1 and H2 — social care provision. H1 is provision made under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; H2 covers other social care provision reasonably required.
• Section I — the name and type of the school or other institution to be attended. This section appears only in the final plan.
• Section J — any personal budget arrangements.
• Section K — the advice and information gathered during the assessment, attached as appendices.

Who is responsible for the provision in an EHCP?

Responsibility is shared, but not equally, and it is worth knowing who is accountable for what.

• The local authority must secure the special educational provision specified in Section F. It maintains the plan and is responsible for reviewing it.
• The responsible health commissioning body, in practice the integrated care board, must arrange the health care provision specified in Section G.
• The school or setting named in Section I must admit the child, and uses its delegated funding and staffing to deliver day-to-day provision. It must also use its best endeavours to meet the needs of pupils with SEN.

If provision in a plan is not being delivered, that is a matter to raise with the local authority as well as with the school, because the section 42 duty sits with the authority. Our page for families who already have an EHCP in place covers how to raise these concerns constructively.

What happens once an EHCP is issued?

The plan should shape ordinary school life rather than sit in a file. In a setting where implementation is working well, staff who teach the child know what is in Section F, provision is timetabled, and the outcomes in Section E are reflected in what is worked on week by week.

It is reasonable to ask the SENCO how the provision has been organised, who is delivering each part of it, and how progress towards the outcomes will be tracked. Asking early, in a collaborative tone, tends to be far more effective than waiting until the annual review.

Plans stay with a child through transitions. Where a young person moves between phases of education, the plan must be reviewed and amended by set deadlines so the receiving setting is named in good time.

What is an EHCP Annual Review?

A local authority must review an EHC plan at least every 12 months. The first review must take place within 12 months of the plan being issued, and subsequent reviews within 12 months of the previous one.

The review usually involves a meeting, normally arranged by the school, with written information circulated in advance. After the meeting, the school sends a report to the local authority, and the authority must then tell you within four weeks of the meeting whether it intends to keep the plan as it is, amend it, or cease to maintain it.

For children under five, the SEND Code of Practice suggests reviews should be considered more frequently, at least every three to six months, to make sure that provision keeps pace with rapid development. That is guidance on good practice rather than a separate legal minimum.

Preparing for a review

• Look back at Section E and note honestly which outcomes have moved and which have not.
• Check whether everything in Section F has actually been happening.
• Write down anything that has changed at home or in health since the last review.
• Ask your child what is working and what is hard, in a way that suits them.
• Send your contribution in writing before the meeting, so it forms part of the record.

What can parents do if they disagree with an EHCP decision?

Parents and young people have a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) against a range of decisions, including a refusal to carry out an EHC needs assessment, a refusal to issue a plan, the content of Sections B, F and I, and a decision to cease a plan.

Before appealing, in most cases you must contact a mediation adviser and obtain a mediation certificate, although you do not have to take part in mediation itself. You do not need to consider mediation if your appeal is only about the school named in Section I.

An appeal must normally be made within two months of the date of the local authority's decision letter, or within one month of the date on a mediation certificate, whichever is later.

Many disagreements are resolved well before this stage, through a clear written summary of your concerns and a meeting with the local authority's case officer. Where an appeal is the right route, independent advice at an early stage is valuable, because the deadlines are strict and the paperwork matters.

Where can parents get further help?

You do not have to work this out alone, and asking for help early tends to save time later.

• Your local SENDIASS — every local authority must arrange free, impartial information, advice and support for children, young people and parents on SEND matters. You can find yours through the IASS Network.
• Your local authority's Local Offer — every authority must publish information about the provision it expects to be available locally for children and young people with SEND.
• Independent advice organisations such as IPSEA and Contact, which provide free advice on SEND law and on family life with a disabled child.

You can also start from our support for parents and carers pages, or browse the resources currently available. If you would like to talk something through, get in touch.

If you're beginning to navigate SEND support for your child, our free SEND Starter Pack provides a practical starting point.

Further official information

• GOV.UK — Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• GOV.UK — Extra SEN help and EHC needs assessments
• GOV.UK — Appeal a decision about your child's SEND support
• GOV.UK — SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years
• Children and Families Act 2014, Part 3
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014

Law and guidance can change. This guide was last reviewed in September 2026 and reflects the position in England at that time.