Requests for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment: ‘The Summer Pause’

EHC Needs Assessment Requests:

In Bradford we want to work with families to ensure that children, young people are supported in the best possible way.  Requests for  assessment will be considered by a group of professionals from Education, Health and Social Care and schools, who will discuss whether to go ahead with a full EHC Needs Assessment, or whether your child, young person’s needs can best be met in other ways. For example through a non statutory My Support Plan.

In addition, as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice we may need to gather further information from professionals or people working with a child, young person which will always include the current education setting/placement that the child, young person attends.

New Requests for EHCA:

Normally when a request has been received we begin the process - this is called the ‘Information Gathering Stage’, which usually takes up to 6 weeks. This includes requesting information from education settings who are usually expected to provide us with information within 10 working days.

As we are approaching the summer holiday period (Summer Pause), it will not be possible to do this in relation to any new EHC Needs Assessment requests received after 6^th July. A pause will be implemented and they will start at Week 1 of the process on 6^th September 2018.

The local authority is able to do this as referenced in section 9.42 of the code of practice below.

9.42 Where there are exceptional circumstances, it may not be reasonable to expect local authorities and other partners to comply with the time limits above. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 set out specific exemptions. These include where:

• the educational institution is closed for at least 4 weeks, which may delay the submission of information from the school or other institution (this does not apply to the duty on partners to comply with a request under the EHC needs assessment process within six weeks)

EHC Needs Assessments:

Following the information gathering stage, if the multi-agency panel agree to proceed with an EHC Needs Assessment, part of this process includes an in-depth assessment period by professionals working with the child, young person and will always include an assessment by an Educational Psychologist who will link to the child, young person’s education placement. We are expected to give these professionals a minimum of 6 working

Due to the school holidays, any EHC requests that are agreed by the multi-agency panel after the 28^th June will be paused during the summer break and restart at Week 5 of the process on 6^th September. This will ensure that any decisions whether to issue an Statutory EHC Plan are based on all of the required information. The Local Authority is able to do this as outlined in 9.42 of the code as above.

Looked After Children

The regulations for Looked after Children are slightly different. Please contact SEN assessment team for further details.

Summary

Any Queries please contact SEN Assessment team on sen@bradford.gov.uk

Ronnie Hartley, SEN Assessment Team, 16^th May 2018