EHCP draft - personal budget

[TheTwitcher11]

Hi all,

I was hoping I could get some advice re an EHCP.

The local authority are in the 'draft' stage of the EHCP and I have until the end of the week to proofread it and make any amendments.

My son is 4 years old and has a diagnosis of Autism. He is due to start a mainstream setting w/ a SEN unit attached, in September 2023.

I can see there is a section that refers to 'personal budget' - is this only for parents who are homeschooling or is it also available to children who are enrolled in school?

For those who have been successfully granted a 'personal budget' what services did you propose for your child? Does anyone have any examples they could share?

This is all very new to me so any advice would be very appreciated!

Thank you :)

A personal budget isn’t only for those who EHE, although some LAs will give a PB for EHE by EHE you relieve the LA of their duty to provide the provision in the EHCP. Some DC on the roll of a school will also be in receipt of a PB. What is included in a PB will depend on what provision is in F. DS1 has a personal budget for EOTAS. It covers tuition, therapies, other provision, equipment/resources/budget for trips out etc.

Thank you for responding!
So would it cover things like visits to the London Aquarium or London Transport Museum? Would I just list these things as an annual expense? I’m sure I’m interpreting this to be way more simple than it is?! I can think of a lot of things my son would benefit from such as Occupations Therapy and SEN swimming lessons.
Pardon my ignorance but what is an EOTAS?

*Occupational Therapy

EOTAS is education otherwise than at school.

OT should be in F, did you request an OT assessment as part of the EHCNA? Swimming lessons can also be in F. They could be funded via a PB, although don’t have to be funded that way, but to have them funded they would need to be in F.

Such trips out would only be part of a PB if they were covered in section F, and to have them in F you would need evidence they were required. If such trips are in F and are to be funded via a PB some people have a specific amount per week/month/term/year &/or they have specific memberships covered.

I've logged onto the EHC and looked at Section F- there are targets that they have set which dont include the things I would like to suggest which are the following:
SEN Swimming lessons
London Transport Museum
London Aquarium
Occupational Therapy

So do I now research these therapies/ activities to be written into F and show the cost implications (eg weekly swimming cost) within the 'personal budget' section of the EHCP? Do they need to be conveyed as a 'target'? eg 'learn to swim'?

Sorry for all the questions (you seem very knowledgeable!) The EHC hub isn't allowing me to go on and make amendments myself, so I have to type them up onto a Word Document and send over to the case worker (who responds every few days) so i'm very anxious to get all this right before the deadline.

Thank you for your informative responses! It's really appreciated :)

Targets shouldn’t be in F, outcomes should be in E. Section F is special educational provision.

You can make representations to ask for the amendments you think are necessary. However, if you don’t have evidence to support their need the EHCP won’t be amended to include them. For example, if you need/want OT provision to be in F (and corresponding need in B and outcomes in E) you will need it to be included in an OT assessment. And then OT wouldn’t necessarily be funded via PB.

You can ask the LA to send the draft as a word document.

Hi I was wondering how you got on, I am in the same place you were I have a draft EHCP for my son who is 6 years old
how did you get on with the personal budget did you put the SEN swim lessons and outings? We’re they accepted

I would really appreciate a response I have till Friday to complete the form and send it back to SENAR

Hi I was wondering how you got on, I am in the same place you were I have a draft EHCP for my son who is 6 years old

how did you get on with the personal budget did you put the SEN swim lessons and outings? We’re they accepted

I would really appreciate a response I have till Friday to complete the form and send it back to SENAR