- Cognition and learning - Cognition and learning - resources
- Sensory processing - Sensory processing difficulties
- Communication and interaction - Communication and interaction resources
- Sensory/physical - Physical needs - resources, hearing impairment resources, visual impairment - resources
- Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) - Social, emotional and mental health - resources
Information for professionals
Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
An Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legally binding document that outlines provision needed for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities to make progress.
It is for children and young people aged 0-25 with needs that cannot be met through the ordinarily available provision in school, despite the graduated approach.
Typically, the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) submits the application to the local authority with the agreement of parents and professionals, but parent carers and young people are able to submit an application themselves.
The application outlines the needs of the children and young people and what progress has been made through any interventions already accessed.
Clinicians should not advise parents that an EHCP is needed as it is the local authority who make the decision. The clinician should advise parent carers to speak to the school if they are concerned.
The EHCP is split into sections A-I. Health needs, outcomes and provision are found in sections C and G of the plan, although information regarding therapies may be found in sections B and F, which the local authority has responsibility for.
Contributing to EHCPs
Local authorities are legally required to obtain medical advice and information from health care professionals when carrying out an EHCP assessment.
NHS bodies have a legal responsibility to respond to requests for advice within six weeks of the date they received the request.
It is important that when advice is sought you only comment on health issues and do not recommend any educational provision as this is not in the remit of health professionals. You could potentially be called to a SEND tribunal and will have to justify any advice or recommendations you provide. If you are unsure, please contact the SEND team.
EHCPs are reviewed annually, and any updated medical information, outcomes and provision should be sought by schools and health professionals have a legal responsibility to respond.
Links to pathways for EHCP processes for each local area can be found below:
The Council for Disabled Children have useful information on providing health advice:
Mediations and tribunals
A SEND tribunal is an independent national tribunal which decides appeals against local authority decisions about the special educational needs (SEN) of children and young people. It also hears claims of disability discrimination against any type of school, and maintained nursery schools. Its full name is The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability).
The SEND tribunal has the power to order local authorities to carry out EHC needs assessments, issue EHC plans, and amend existing EHC plans. Your local authority must comply with orders made by the SEND tribunal. If it is asked to do so, the SEND tribunal can also make non-binding recommendations about health and social care.
An appeal including health or social care is called an Extended Appeal and relates to sections C and G of the EHCP. Health professionals involved with the children and young people may be asked to contribute advice as part of an extended appeal, and if asked there is a legal responsibility to respond.
In some circumstances the appeal may progress to a hearing and those providing advice may be called as witnesses.
SEND training
All health practitioners working with children and young people should have a basic level of SEND training. Training can be accessed at the links below:
Health practitioners should be trained to at least level 2. SEND champions, SEND leads and CYP service leads should be trained to level 4. This can be accessed via:
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training. The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that regulated service providers must ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role. Find out more: The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism | NHS England | Workforce, training and education