EHCP granted! How do I make sure it’s effective?

[samarcanda]

After over 1 year of paperwork, appeals, assessments, liaisons with school and various other stakeholders, the LA has finally granted my daughter (10 years old, Y5) an EHCP.
They sent the draft and gave us 2 weeks to provide input.

Please can I have help on what I need to do to make sure to have an effective one?
Is this the ECHP that will be used for secondary transfer? Will there be another review in y6 where we can research for a best school for her and name it?
Should I start having meetings with secondary school sencos based on what is on the EHCP?
I am so burnout by this process already that I fear I will miss out on the last and most important part!

Thank you ❤️

Have a look at IPSEA’s information here.

All educational needs should be in B, and every need should have corresponding provision and outcomes in F and E respectively.

It is vital section F is detailed, specified and quantified. No woolly and vague wording such as “access to”, “would benefit from”, “opportunities for”, “or equivalent”, “such as”, “regular”, “e.g.”… If it woolly and vague it isn’t enforceable.

Anything that educates or trains belongs in F. This includes things like SALT and OT which LAs often try to put in G. It is important it is in F as it is easier to enforce.

If it is something are interested in SOSSEN have a draft checking service for a reasonable price.

In the autumn term of Y6 there should be an annual review and you will get to name your secondary school preference. Once the current EHCP is finalised it would be a good idea to start looking at secondary options.

You may also find SOS SEN's booklet on EHCPs helpful - sossen.org.uk/services/booklets/

I work in schools, I would advise you to talk to parents of children in local schools as in my experience senco-s will talk the talk.
See if there is a local forum you can join for advice? X

I thought usually hear in year 5? For EHCP kids to name secondary school than year 6 ? Correct me if wrong

Yes, you are wrong. The LA must finalise amended EHCPs in preparation for transition to secondary by the 15th Feb of Y6. That is in Reg 18 of the SEN Regs 2014. In order to do that, a phase transfer review should be held in the autumn term of Y6. All confirmed by this IPSEA page.

Sometimes the review is held at the very end of the summer term. That isn’t as common as it used to be since the case law requiring LAs to finalise post review within 12 weeks max if they are going to amend. It does still happen sometimes, mostly LAs either finalise and then issue another final amended EHCP nearer the phase transfer deadline or, where they get away with it, ignore the review timescales.

They told me today they will send my named school in September year 6 . ( Will talk to me from April to September ) .
then school has 15 days to answer .
then I have 5.5 months to appeal .

As I posted, EHCPs naming secondary placements don’t haven’t to be finalised until 15th Feb of Y6. Some will be finalised before then, but not usually in September.

Whenever the EHCP is finalised you won’t have 5.5 months to appeal. The appeal window is 2 months from the date of the finalised EHCP or 1 month from the date of the mediation certificate, whichever is later.