Final EHCP

[mog44]

I'm hoping that someone on here would be able to help, I've just received my daughter's final EHCP today, after the first draft was completed last Friday. Bearing in mind an EHCNA was approved by the LA at the beginning of August 2023, we have been waiting for a long time. In the draft they stated 25 hours funded support, but in the final version this has been changed to 15 hours? Why would this have been changed? What does it mean in terms of my daughter accessing specialist provision and what can I do? I'm really hoping some of you lovely knowledgeable lot can help me as I'm now panicking.
My daughter has been out of mainstream education since last September, was approved by the LA and has been attending an alternative provision but this is only 12hrs per week. She is still enrolled in mainstream school but I have had no support at all from her SENCO and just worried about what this means now. Thank you for any help/advice

Suggest you pop over to the EHCP thread.

If the LA has finalised the EHCP and you aren’t happy with the content &/or the placement, you can appeal. Thay is what you will need to do if the EHCP names the mainstream school and you want specialist provision.

If the LA only issued the draft last Friday and they have already finalised, the haven’t given you long enough to make representations and state you preferred school.

I would query the 25 vs 15 hours. If the finalised EHCP differs from the draft amendments must only be as a result of your representations (and also naming the placement/type of placement). The LA must not make any other amendments without reissuing a draft (Reg 14 of the SEN Regs 2014 and explained more in 9.125 of the SENCOP). However, either way “support” is too vague.

For future reference, if the LA fails to comply with statutory timescales, you can force them to act, via judicial review if necessary. Also for future reference, 12 hours a week is not a suitable full-time education.