EHCP - following EP assessment question

[mollyminniemo]

Hello
I won’t go into a huge backstory but we have applied for an EHCP for DS(10) with Autism diagnosis 10 months ago. Only finally two months ago we heard they’d carry out an EHCNA which happened 4 weeks ago. But was done virtually - as there are no EP available in our area! She seemed great and said she would add notes suggesting our DS could do with some extra support.
Today, 4 weeks following this I received an email I thought contained the decision of the actual EHCP but was her “EP Advice” document.
this is infuriating!!! It’s such a shit show isn’t it??? Does anyone know if this EP advice document is just standard and what this may now suggest for the final decision of his EHCP please? Thankyou in advance.

The EHCP process is governed by statutory timescales. You can see them here. If the LA is in breach of them, email the Director of Children’s Services reminding them of their duties. If that doesn’t work email again threaten judicial review if they don’t pull their finger out. Then, if that fails post back here for next steps.

It is normal for the EP to write a report following the EP assessment, but the report should be personalised, not just a standardised report. As an aside, the EP assessment doesn’t sound adequate. If the report does not include all needs, provision and outcomes and/or the provision is not detailed, specified and quantified you should go back to the EP asking her to improve the report. Provision in EHCPs is taken from the evidence, so if the reports are poor the EHCP will be too.

The EP assessment is totally inadequate. Our LA used a locum EP who saw dd face to face and did a number of tests with her which took 2.5 hours (she's 7). He then met with me to understand more about background and let me know what his results showed. I was then able to contact him afterwards as I had a worry that her results were fairly standard and would not lead to an ehcp. He was fantastic at drawing out the underlying cognitive challenges he witnessed, despite seeing a fairly average set of results (he essentially said that with appropriate supoort for performance anxiety, which she was masking, her result would be higher, therefore she wasn't reaching her potential). He wrote up the report and shared it with us for additional comments before finalising.

We got the ehcp.

Thanks both so much.

If they (dare!!) reject it, I feel I have such strong grounds for appeal as they have completely breached the timescales and then by the sounds of it this assessment- being doing virtually and only so briefly was also not satisfactory. Just wish I knew how much longer now until we finally hear back.

Most appeals are upheld. That doesn’t stop LAs refusing and forcing parents to appeal as a delaying tactic. Have you emailed the Director of Children’s Services?

Headfirstintothewild not yet-eek!! Thanks so much for your advice, you are clearly so in the know I honestly don't know where to start with it all. Do you think I should email already even before finding out if we get/don't get the EHCP?

If the LA is in breach of the statutory timescales, which they are if you requested an EHCNA 10 months ago, you should email the Director of Children’s Services now. If that doesn’t work, follow the advice in my first post.