Page 2 | Ehcp review tips!

jimminycrickett · 2022-07-12T12:14:00+00:00

I am attending a review meeting for my child's formal ehcp review this week.. I'm still new to all of this, and this is the first review since it was first issued a year ago. Any tips on things to look out for? Things to request? What is really important to have in there? My child is 5, and an Ed psych will be present with the school Senco. Thanks in advance!

LargeLegoHaul · 12/07/2022 17:11

Unfortunately, if the reports are vague and woolly section F will be too. You need new reports. You could either ask the LA to reassess or following the AR appeal and seek independent reports. If any of the reports are recent you could ask the LA to go back to the report writers to make them detailed, specific and quantified, but that won’t work if the reports are all from the EHCNA.

SunshineLollipopsRainbow · 12/07/2022 18:21

I've recently attended a first year EHCP review for a child in my class.
We found that the initial ehcp (which he came to me with) was very vague with a lot of inaccuracies and discrepancies but the first year review was a great opportunity to really make it specific and personalised to the needs of the child which is what I did (class teacher) alongside our SENCO and parents.
Hope that helps

Original poster

jimminycrickett · 12/07/2022 18:35

SunshineLollipopsRainbow · 12/07/2022 18:21

I've recently attended a first year EHCP review for a child in my class.
We found that the initial ehcp (which he came to me with) was very vague with a lot of inaccuracies and discrepancies but the first year review was a great opportunity to really make it specific and personalised to the needs of the child which is what I did (class teacher) alongside our SENCO and parents.
Hope that helps

That's reassuring to know.

It always feels like a bit of a battle to get what these children need.

All they need is to make the playing field level with their peers, but it seems like they're always someone trying to block support or take it away, usually because of money.

I just want a positive meeting where my child's needs are put first!

OP posts:

elliejjtiny · 13/07/2022 10:09

LargeLegoHaul · 12/07/2022 14:56

A vague and woolly EHCP isn’t worth the paper it is written on. DC may not get the support and you can’t enforce it. The wording needs challenging, although it may take an appeal. What are the reports like? Provision in EHCPs is taken from the reports, so if the reports are vague and woolly the EHCP will be too.

@elliejjtiny IPSEA have a model letter that can be used to complain when the AR isn’t held on time. You can also threaten Judicial Review too. It will help secondary transition if the EHCP is up to date beforehand. Otherwise you get problems like @BiscoffSundae’s, where because provision isn’t specified and quantified in F an inappropriate school is named and DC won’t get the provision needed.

I was planning on naming the mainstream catchment secondary school where his 2 older brothers currently attend, The LA won't try and name somewhere else will they?

Having said that, we live in a slightly weird area where our catchment primary school isn't our nearest school. We managed to get DS1 into the nearest school in 2010 the last year it was undersubscribed, just before a new build estate popped up between us and the school. Then the younger ones all got in on the sibling rule. Last year the LA tried to name the catchment school on DC4's EHCP despite him having been settled and happy there for 4 years and with 2 of his brothers there too . We managed to persuade them not to but they still insisted on asking the catchment school if they could meet DC4's needs. Who then phoned the head of the current school and told him DC4 would be leaving. The poor headteacher thought he'd done something wrong. It was all sorted out in the end and I told the senco that if we were considering moving any of the dc it would be to a specialist school and if she heard anything about the dc moving to a different mainstream school she should ignore it.

partygate · 13/07/2022 10:21

Agree with the above - it must be written in concrete language, ie will receive etc. They try to write in woolly language as it is not enforceable (as in you cannot sue them for breach of the EHCP plan).

Be careful as well about any suggestion the school does all the work, ie will train teachers in speech and language therapy or physio and that will be provided once a week etc. No teacher in a mainstream school has time to provide that 1:1 level of care. If the child needs it, it must be outsourced (ie by a special 1:1 or someone coming to school to provide physio etc)

The plan will have the most minimal support possible so I’m afraid most plans will need to be challenged.

LargeLegoHaul · 13/07/2022 10:30

elliejjtiny · 13/07/2022 10:09

I was planning on naming the mainstream catchment secondary school where his 2 older brothers currently attend, The LA won't try and name somewhere else will they?

Having said that, we live in a slightly weird area where our catchment primary school isn't our nearest school. We managed to get DS1 into the nearest school in 2010 the last year it was undersubscribed, just before a new build estate popped up between us and the school. Then the younger ones all got in on the sibling rule. Last year the LA tried to name the catchment school on DC4's EHCP despite him having been settled and happy there for 4 years and with 2 of his brothers there too . We managed to persuade them not to but they still insisted on asking the catchment school if they could meet DC4's needs. Who then phoned the head of the current school and told him DC4 would be leaving. The poor headteacher thought he'd done something wrong. It was all sorted out in the end and I told the senco that if we were considering moving any of the dc it would be to a specialist school and if she heard anything about the dc moving to a different mainstream school she should ignore it.

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The LA may try to name the nearest suitable secondary, so if the catchment secondary isn’t the nearest the LA may try to name another MS if it’s closer and they think it can meet needs. However, you can challenge this, although they may force you to appeal. If the LA agree to name a school that isn’t the nearest they may try to name it as parental preference and refuse transport, but again you can challenge this and SENTAS can help with a transport appeal.

oddoneoutalways · 13/07/2022 11:07

I know it was yesterday but my tips for anyone reading (I've done several annual reviews now for my child, and work in the field separately):

Make sure you have any reports etc beforehand as required and through the EHCP with a fine toothed comb. Every outcome, section I and F. Is each point and provision relevant, needed and currently being met? Does it need to go further? Have the needs changed, if so how will they be met in future?. Have the outcomes been achieved, do they need updating or changing? Do you need a personal budget or direct payment provision (if so the provision must be detailed in section F)? Is the funding adequate? Make notes. Ask school to clarify in writing prior to the meeting any queries you have about if things that should be happening, are. If they're not, why not and how will they be going forwards?

NO WOOLLY WORDING. No 'may benefit from' etc. They're useless and unenforceable. You need 'must have', 'at all times' it needs to be specific, quantifiable and with no room for interpretation. If your child needs a full time 1:1 at all times, it must say exactly that.

At the meeting, if you can, take someone along to take notes for you and request minutes afterwards. Make sure you see a draft of the changes before it goes to the LA and check that you're happy with it and what was agreed is done. If not, go back and challenge.