EHCP Personal Budget

[Whattodo123445]

Child has an EHCP and we are currently requesting an early review with the hope of obtaining a place at the hub attached to the mainstream school he attends. Additionally, I would like to request a personal budget to cover his weekly Play Therapy sessions that have so far been self-funded, and OT sessions that would hopefully commence soon.

Upon speaking to school they have suggested that if we were to request a personal budget for the 2 additional therapies then I would have to manage the entire EHCP budget and apportion between school and therapies myself, and that it is not possible for the budget to be split between the two streams if you like.

They have also mentioned that if we requested a personal budget it is unlikely we would obtain a hub placement.

Can anyone shed any light on why this is the case? It doesn't seem to stack up with what I've read, and I don't understand why a personal budget for additional therapies would impact upon hub placement?

School are fabulous and very well intentioned but this just doesn't seem correct to me. Granted I don't know much and this is all new to me, but everything I've read seems to suggest that we could receive additional funding to pay for therapies without that impacting school's budget, or indeed me having any involvement in their budget. His play therapist and OT seem to have the same understanding as me, and have clients who have a similar set up. I don't want to be difficult, nor do I want to cause any issues with requesting the Hub placement, but I don't understand how one impacts the other.

If anyone can advise I'd be very grateful! Thanks!

Just bumping 😊

If it's in Section F of the EHCP then a personal budget can be requested. It may work differently if accessing a hub, but a personal budget doesn't normally mean "extra" money, but it would be diverting some of the funding from the EHCP to yourself to organise part of the provision within Section F. E.g. if it says direct OT sessions with an OT within Section F, then you can request you get the funding for this part to organise yourself. I think the school would also need to agree that they would allow having less funding and to not have responsibility for that part of Section F.

The consent of the school is only required for a DP (which from OP’s other thread is what she means) when the provision is to be delivered in the school. If the provision is not to be delivered in school, the consent of the school is not required.