Existing EHCP Guide
My Child Already Has an EHCP
If your child already has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you may sometimes find it difficult to understand what it means in practice, whether the provision is being delivered and what you should do if your child's needs change.
This guide provides practical information to help you understand your child's EHCP, prepare for reviews and work collaboratively with school and other professionals.
Your pathway
Where to Start
If your child already has an EHCP, these steps may help you understand the plan and prepare for reviews.
What this might mean
- The plan should describe your child's needs, the outcomes they are working towards and the provision to be made.
- Provision is usually more helpful when it is specific about type, frequency and who delivers it.
- Plans are normally reviewed at least annually so they can keep pace with your child's needs.
What you can do
- Read the plan carefully alongside what happens day to day.
- Prepare your contribution ahead of the annual review.
- Where something is unclear, ask school or the local authority to explain it.
What to think about / record
- Which parts of the provision are happening in practice.
- Progress towards the outcomes in the plan.
- Any changes in your child's needs since the last review.
Who you can talk to
- The school SENCo or class teacher.
- Your local authority SEND caseworker.
- Your local SEND information, advice and support service, where further advice may help.
What to do next
- Use the Starter Pack sections on meetings and annual reviews.
- If health needs also affect education, read that pathway too.
This is general information to help you think about next steps. It is not legal advice, and every child's situation is different — where appropriate, consider seeking further advice.
What Is an EHCP?
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) describes a child or young person's special educational needs, the outcomes they are working towards and the special educational provision required to support them.
The EHCP should reflect your child's individual strengths, needs and aspirations and should provide a clear framework for the support they require.
An EHCP is a legal document
The provision specified in it is important when considering whether your child's needs are being appropriately supported.
Reading the plan
Understanding Your Child's EHCP
Your Child's Strengths and Needs
Look at the description of your child's strengths, special educational needs and the barriers they experience.
Outcomes
Outcomes describe what your child should be able to achieve or work towards. They should be meaningful, specific to your child and focused on progress.
Special Educational Provision
Look carefully at the provision described in the plan. Consider what support, strategies, resources, adaptations or specialist input are identified.
Health and Social Care Needs
Where relevant, consider the health and social care sections of the plan and how these connect with your child's education and wider wellbeing.
Reading carefully
Provision Matters
When reading your child's EHCP, pay particular attention to the special educational provision section.
Consider whether the provision is clear enough to understand what support your child should receive, who is responsible for providing it, how frequently it should happen and what level or type of support is required.
- What support is specified?
- How often should it happen?
- Who is responsible for providing it?
- Are any specialist professionals involved?
- Are the strategies and adaptations described clearly?
- Is the provision still appropriate for your child's current needs?
Implementation in practice
Schools and families may need to discuss how provision is implemented in practice, but the wording of an EHCP should provide a clear basis for understanding the provision required.
Reviewing the plan
Preparing for an Annual Review
The annual review is an opportunity to consider your child's progress, whether the EHCP remains appropriate and whether any changes are needed.
- Read through the current EHCP before the meeting.
- Think about your child's strengths and achievements.
- Record areas where your child is still experiencing difficulty.
- Consider whether the current outcomes remain appropriate.
- Review the provision being provided and its impact.
- Gather relevant reports, examples or evidence.
- Write down questions or concerns you want to raise.
- Think about your child's views, wishes and aspirations.
Useful questions
Questions You Could Ask at an Annual Review
- What progress has my child made towards their outcomes?
- What evidence do we have of this progress?
- Which parts of the current provision are making the biggest difference?
- Is all of the provision specified in the EHCP currently being delivered?
- Are my child's needs still accurately described?
- Do the outcomes still reflect my child's needs and aspirations?
- Does the provision need to change?
- Are there any new health, social care or educational needs that should be considered?
- What are the next steps following the review?
When Your Child's Needs Change
Children and young people's needs can change over time. An EHCP should be reviewed when appropriate and may need to be amended when a child's circumstances, needs, outcomes or required provision change.
If you believe your child's needs have changed significantly, discuss this with the school or setting and consider whether further advice or an earlier review may be appropriate.
Raising concerns
If You're Concerned About the Provision
If you are concerned that your child's needs are not being met or that provision described in the EHCP is not being delivered, start by recording specific examples and discussing your concerns with the school or setting.
Understand
Read the relevant sections of the EHCP carefully.
Record
Keep clear examples of what is happening and how it affects your child.
Discuss
Raise concerns with the appropriate person at school or the setting.
Review
Consider whether the existing provision remains appropriate for your child's needs.
Seek Further Advice
Where concerns remain unresolved, consider seeking appropriate professional or independent advice.
Important note
This information is general guidance, not legal advice. It does not suggest that a school is automatically acting unlawfully if provision appears not to have been delivered, and it does not assume any particular Local Authority process.
Participation
Your Child's Voice Matters
Children and young people should be supported to participate in decisions about their education and future in a way that is appropriate to their age and understanding.
Think about what your child enjoys, what they find difficult, what helps them and what they would like to achieve.
Future resource
EHCP Toolkit
Practical Resources for the EHCP Process
Practical resources and tools to help families understand, prepare for and navigate the EHCP process.
Need More Help?
Understanding an EHCP is one thing. Knowing whether the plan accurately reflects your child's needs, preparing for an annual review or deciding what questions to ask can sometimes feel much more difficult.