Advice on where to start with ECHP

[chickpea1982]

This has probably been asked before, but my son has just been diagnosed with ADHD and ASD, and the assessor recommended that we apply for an ECHP. Where do I start? Is this the kind of thing we do ourselves or do we need to get external help? He's just about to go into year 5, and so we really need it in place before secondary - ideally before secondary applications, though that might be asking a bit much. He's not high needs exactly, but needs some support and understanding to cope in a mainstream school.

Hi do the needs assesment request yourself.

Remember its a request for a needs assesment, then if yes it's looking at if tonissue an ehcp. I found this helpful given all the new jargon I was learning.

educationadvocacy.co.uk/what-is-a-ehcp/timeline/

Having just done this and also been to a talk locally with professionals eg lawyers, peadatricians, EPs etc I can't belive that the myth of school.needs to.apply is so widely shared. I thought it was just us that were told that and drank that cool aid Until we got fed up going back and forth with the school.

The ehcp is a contract between you and the LA. A school is fulfilling the needs written in the EHCP. So dont need to be involved to submit. They will be asked for input so make sure you let the SENCO know you will be applying and that you have applied.

You can check your local authority website for either a form they want or send a letter - IPSEA have a template letter. The date of the letter (email) kick starts the 6 weeks they have to get back to you. I did both as wasn't willing to get stuck on admin. Took me.ages though.

Include the professional reports that you have as evidence.

You might also want to put in a diary/ personal perspective too. Eg to give them as little room to say no.

Also remember you appeal a NO needs assesment request decision. and can donthis as a parent
A huge % (over 95 i think) of needs assesment appeals get a postive outcome.

We instructed a lawyer after our YES needs assesment decision to make sure that if we get a NO to EHCP we can appeal asap and if is a yes that the wording is 100% exact and appropriate. I tell you this as i have also leartn that some lawyers give you a pro bono 30 min call. So you could utilise that in the future.

And definitely don't down play his needs if the professional suggested it.

Main thing is to get the professionals to agree on what support he needs, where he needs it, when he needs it and how much. Eg very specific and clear. Not john needs access to a 1:1 it needs to be be 1:1 in the classroom supporting xyz, 5 days a week x hours a day...

Best of luck

You can request an EHCNA yourself. You can use the model letter IPSEA has on their website. You don’t need to pay for advice. You can do it yourself.

IPSEA and SOSSEN both have lots of helpful information on their websites about EHCPs. It can help to read the SENCOP too.

Unfortunately, you may not have an EHCP in place by the start of Y7 or even by the admission deadline in October. Even if you submit a request today and you don’t have to appeal refusal to assess or refusal to issue, there are some exemptions to the 20 week timescale. One of the exceptions is if it would be impractical for the LA to comply because they have requested advice from the school during the period beginning one week before they are closed for 4+ weeks and ending one week before they reopen. This could mean they rely on the exemption to not finalise by the end of October.

Sorry to be clear. I didn't mean to insinuate you need to pay for advice. The link to the advocate website was the timeline and explain of how things should work. I just printed and read it as was getting confused.

Sorry if my post was not clear.

@Tikeahulilly apologies if you thought my post was aimed at you. It wasn’t, it was in response to the OP saying can they do it themselves or do they need to get external help.

Just to add, ask the assessor to write into the diagnosis letter that they recommend an EHCNA is undertaken.

Lots of things can be included as evidence for the two part test beyond a diagnostic report: school reports, incident reports if there has been challenging behaviour, attendance records if school refusal, individual education plans. You could also ask the school to submit a short report about any issues they have noticed, and don't wait for that to submit the EHCNA request: it can follow afterwards straight to the LA.

I managed to get an EHCP in place for the start of year 7 after applying for the ECHNA in October of year 5. But I had to do two tribunals and hustle hustle hustle.

Regarding the October school application deadline, you'll need to put an application in anyway because there's no tick box for "I am in the incredibly tedious EHCP process" just a tick box for "child has EHCP".

So put as much energy as you can spare into finding a suitable school (seek out SEN parents' groups and ask around) even if you wouldn't meet the distance criterion right now. Sadly, LAs do not give advice on suitable schools, or not advice you can trust.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/5309128-ehcp-support-thread-no-5?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share