To worry about social services as part of EHCP application?

[Iamconfused1]

Will social services automatically become involved if the LA agree to assess or are they involved right from the start anyway?

Worried due to very old involvement after an accident and bad anxiety ever since but feel an EHCP would be helpful for secondary school for what I hear in terms of exams etc?

DD is already diagnosed ADHD / Dyslexia and on the waiting list for ASD assessment

No they will not automatically become involved. Even though it's called an education, health and care plan, I haven't in 20 years working in special schools ever seen a social worker actually contribute to one, even if the family already have a SW involved. Usually it's school, educational psychology and any therapies involved (OT, physio, Speech therapy), and specialist external teachers if relevant.

Agree with previous poster. I have been involved with 25+ EHCP applications as SENCO and a social worker he never been inv

As @Bushmillsbabe said, no, they definitely won’t be involved.

Sorry. Finger posted before I was ready. . Social services have never been involved.

Thank you

No involvement for years - I just panic seeing “ social services “ even written down now.

It’s because it says the LA requests information from various places when conducting the assessment and one of them is social services

Well as a Social Worker I absolutely contribute to EHCPs. If the child is open to services already then we get a request for Social care advice which must be completed by the child's allocated SW. I am frequently the person requesting the EHCP too.

OP in your case a SW won't be asked to contribute but in open cases this should be happening as part of the process and certainly does in my LA.

No, they wouldn't be involved from what you've said. Usually only if a child has existing involvement with social services for particular reasons - eg if the child is in local authority care, as there is a section where the social worker can provide relevant context (eg, say if a child might struggle with peer relationships that there is a background of neglect/trauma that needs to be considered that could compound a learning disability for example) And of course to advocate if parents are not around. Sometimes social workers would contribute if the child is open to social services long term due to severe disability, though in my experience in those situations the parents know so much to contribute that there isn't much need for the social worker to add much!

It is only if you're already open to social services. We weren't, when going through the process but we are now under social services but the children with disabilities team.

So if the case was closed years ago they wouldn’t do a new assessment or anything based on me requesting an EHCP?

Never been involved with me and my son has had one for 3 years since he was very young. I don't think they automatically get involved only if you say you need help and aren't coping.

No they wouldn't. Social services get involved if there's a safeguarding concern, and SEN (on its own) isn't a safeguarding need.

It's not unusual for families to be struggling if supporting a child with unmet need and it's possible that school or another professional who knows you could ask about whether you need any support from social care, but they wouldn't refer you without your consent, and even so they'd usually be talking about a lower level (early help) They can only refer without consent if they think there's a serious safeguarding risk and telling you would put the child in more danger.

I mean, caveat that you've not requested the echp based on the fact that you've tried to beat sense into your child and it hasn't worked! Sorry for my dark humour but that's about how explicit an echp request would need to be for it to trigger a compulsory assessment.

The LA will ask social care if there’s any current involvement and if so, they will be asked to contribute to the assessment. If there is no current involvement then nothing further will happen, unless there are identified social care needs.

Thanks for all the replies

Just the name fills me with dread so the thought of anything with them again is too much for my anxiety especially when it’s almost my decision to apply for the EHCP as school seem to think it won’t even get to assessment!

The LA always ask social care if there’s any historic involvement with the child/family though,so it will be flagged.

We just got a phone call from someone at the council who asked if I was aware of different activities going on in the school holidays for children with disabilities and have me the information to apply for a max card.

Some EHCP children have a SW, CIN, CP. LAC like any other child might have and some do not
Depends on the need.
Sometimes it opens the gate for additional optional family support and opportunities in your area or more widely. Again it depends on what the LA can offer.

There are different types of child social work. You will have been involved with Child Protection previously. They investigate whether a child is being harmed. The social workers involved in EHCPs are Children With Disability social workers. They support families with disabled children to access services, get respite in place, access education and so on.

Of course there can be overlap between the two, but Child Protection aren't routinely involved with EHCPs. Your paperwork is referring to the disability social workers.

They are only involved when they are already involved and in complex cases eg they were involved in getting a residential placement.

During an EHCNA the LA must legally seek advice and information in relation to social care as per regulation 6(1)(e) of the SEN Regs 2014. This applies whether there is current involvement, historic involvement or DC is not known to the service. However, LAs often act unlawfully by not seeking this advice and information or, where relevant, by saying “not known to the service” or where there has been previous involvement by stating “no current involvement”.

Advice and information sought during an EHCNA is about supporting DC and the wider family. It will be different to your previous involvement.

Depends on where you live as well. My son has a named disability sw and my LA refuse to add this info to his ehcp because they would refuse even if they spelt the kids name wrong. They waste hours , thousands saying im wrong.

Over 10 years ago