Help!! Applying for EHCP needs assessment??

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Hi everyone,
My DD (15) was referred for an ASD assessment in July-ish. She has low attendance, high anxiety, history of self-harm, etc.
She has been allowed ear buds in hallways at school, she leaves all lessons 5 mins early and arrives at lessons 5 mins late (spends the 10 mins in the student support room) to avoid crowds etc.
She is in year 11 and is doing her exams/mock exams and is allowed to wear ear defenders during these and do them in a seperate room.

Despise this she still has high anxiety with school and comes home exhausted. Her attendance is in the 70s%.

We asked the school for a meeting and asked about getting an EHCP - SENCO was adamant this was not needed and that her grades were very high, so it was unlikely we would get one anyway. She seemed very negative about the whole situation and said the school would not apply for one.

She told me that I could apply for one directly through the LA rather than through the school if I felt that I would get one, and I have looked at these avenues - we are in Devon. They have an online form but there are lots of boxes about different needs and I have no idea how to word or what to put in alot of them!!

Basically, I just need help on how I would go about applying for an EHCP, and is it worth it?? The school have made me doubt whether I would get one in the first place. I have seen the letter templates on IPSEA and other websites that you fill in, but, again, I am unsure of what to put in the needs boxes!!
Again, school are adamant that she does not need one - would this lower our chances of getting one??

I appreciate she is in year 11 and will be leaving soon but ideally this would be in place for college as she is going to a mainstream college.

My dd has ASD, adhd and GAD, alongside a history of poor mental health (self harm, eating disorder, suicidal intentions). She is 21 and at uni now. I applied for and EHCP successfully at the end of year 10 and it was accepted first time - the school added some evidence but I made the application. I am really glad I did as her mental health deteriorated and she was an inpatient in a psychiatric unit for several months. The EHCP funding was raised to the highest level and she did A levels in a small private school with additional support (think counselling and similar) from a special school nearby. This enabled to get back into education and on to uni - she is doing well now. I would advise writing the EHCP application describing how your dd is at her worst.

Describe what happens on a bad day.

Hi, it's really important that you do apply. It's a legal document and will stay with her. She

Sorry I posted before finishing !!

Clearly your daughter has many needs and those difficulties and the help and support she will need will no doubt change as she gets older.
Do not hold back on your application, make sure you document all her struggles both diagnosed and undiagnosed.
If you contact your local council, they will have a dedicated department to help parents with EHCP completion and should be able to give you advice.
Make sure that you include all documentation and recommendations from CAMHs as their assessments carry a lot of weight.
I'm astonished that the school have not supported you. Her needs are much greater than simply needing a little help with exams or a rubber stamp to make sure she's not caught in a noisy and busy corridor.
I wish you every success. Your daughter has a lot going on.

Are you sure the form is for parents? When I first applied for an EHCNA, I found an online LA form that seemed complicated but it turns out, that was the form that schools fill in.

As a parent you need to send the IPSEA template letter requesting an assessment. You don't need support from the school or LA to do this. In fact, both are likely to put you off, if you ask them if it is necessary. So I would be wary of their advice.

I applied for an EHCNA when Ds was at the end of year 11 ( he had spent the majority of that year in the first lockdown). He was high achieving academically but had significant difficulties and school had been completely unsupportive. I was told by his SENCO he wouldn't get an EHCP.....he did. Unfortunately things did worsen for him, even with an EHCP, but having it means he is now hopefully going to be able to access a specialist placement.