In this blog post, we will discuss how to effectively communicate your child's needs in their Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). We will provide examples and suggestions on how to make your EHCP wording more specific, clear, and actionable, as well as highlighting the importance of using professional reports to support your child's needs. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of how to advocate for your child and ensure that their EHCP accurately reflects their needs.
Ask your LA to make the changes when you respond to your draft. And remember, LAs often apply policy not law, but you can appeal if they do not make the changes you want.
1. ‘The setting will’ – so who in the setting will be responsible? The setting is an educational placement, not an individual. This type of wording must state the professional job title of the responsible adult. For example, SENDCo.
E.g. The setting will support the child in the playground at play and lunch time.
Change to - A Teaching Assistant will support the child in the playground at play and lunch time.
2. ‘Subject to review’ – review by who? Provide the job title and professional qualifications of the responsible adult. Remember that provision can be reviewed for success and effectiveness, but provision cannot be withdrawn without Annual Review, giving the right to Appeal.
E.g. Freddie will receive Zones of Regulation delivered by a Teaching Assistant, weekly for 1 hour, subject to review.
Change to - Freddie will receive Zones of Regulation delivered by a Teaching Assistant, weekly for 1 hour. This will be reviewed by the SENDCo every 6 weeks and adapted as a result of the review.
3. ‘Adults’, or/and in addition to ‘School staff’ or ‘staff’ – adults and even ‘trusted adults’, because we all want adults who aren’t trusted in our schools! This should be ‘<job title> the child has a trusted relationship with.’ ‘Adults’ must be specified with the job title, or this leaves your EHCP open for support from anyone within the school, or a voluntary helper. ‘Staff/School staff’ – the Caretaker? Lunchtime Assistant? Head Teacher? Who exactly and what must their experience and qualification be for needs to be met?
E.g. Staff will support Claire during all unstructured activities to support communication with her hearing friends.
Change to - A Teaching Assistant will support Claire during all unstructured activities to support communication with her hearing friends.
4. ‘Should’ is often seen alongside ‘may’, - so only do this if you feel like it, have a spare moment. Replace with ‘will’.
E.g. Noam should have coloured overlays available in all literacy sessions and whenever needing to read.
Change to - Noam will have coloured overlays available in all literacy sessions and whenever needing to read.
5. ‘Would benefit from’ – we’d benefit from a lottery win, however, so would millions of others, but this doesn’t mean we will have one. Replace with ‘will receive’.
E.g. Caitlyn would benefit from 1:1 support throughout the whole school day.
Change to – Caitlyn will receive 1:1 support throughout the whole school day.
6. ‘An intervention’ – such as??? This must be specified with a needs-appropriate named program.
E.g. Takuma will receive an intervention for emotional regulation each week, for 20 minutes in a group of no more than 4.
Request to LA - Takuma will receive ‘please name specific intervention’ for emotional regulation each week, for 20 minutes in a group of no more than 4.
7. ‘Other relevant professionals’ – who are they and why are they required, who will be responsible for any referral or request for additional support?
E.g. Advice will be sought and implemented from other relevant professionals.
Change to – Advice will be sought and implemented from a qualified 'name of professional identified in professional reports’.
8. ‘Opportunities’ – what type of opportunities, who will be instigating these and making sure that they are made into an actual provision? You have an opportunity to catch the next bus, but if you’re a minute late, that opportunity has passed you by.
E.g. A Teaching Assistant will provide opportunities for Jake to read daily for a minimum of 5 minutes every day, on a 1:1 basis.
Change to - A Teaching Assistant will read with Jake daily for a minimum of 5 minutes every day, on a 1:1 basis.
9. ‘As and when required’, so once a week, once a month? How is the requirement acknowledged and by whom? This must state a minimum of.
E.g. Esme will be provided with a laptop as and when required.
Change to - Esme will be provided with a laptop for all written tasks throughout the school day.
10. ‘Access to 1:1’ – every single child at school gets access to 1:1 support.
Need to ask a question? Reading out loud? Need help finding a resource? Need your pencil sharpening? That’s access to 1:1. If you believe that your child requires more dedicated support throughout the whole school day this must come from professional reports, which state this very clearly, with the adult-to-child ratio.
Remember – By law, Sections B and F (and health and social care) can only contain information from professional reports. Parental views, wishes and requests will only go in Section A.
So where do I go from here, how can Empowering Families of Children with SEND Ltd help me?
We have put together a number of support packages to help you to navigate the Tribunal process.
Our blog library is a good place to start and includes blogs to help you to navigate the following:
Checking a draft or final EHCP
Is my EHCP fit for purpose? How will I know?
Find out blog library here
The following easy-to-follow EHCP checking webinars will provide additional support. Anna and Sarah talk you through, step by step how to make a basic wording, needs and provision check to your EHCP to ensure sure it is fit for purpose, worded legally and contains all necessary professional advice.
The accompanying support package provides examples and ‘fill in the blank’ templates to make the process as uncomplicated as possible.
Find our EHCP checking webinars and the accompanying support packs here.
These are part of our not-for-profit Events Department, which aims to provide affordable support for upskilling. We Empower Families to have knowledge and thereafter the confidence with SEND and EHCP issues to advocate for their own children and young people.
Empowering Families of Children with SEND Ltd also provide an industry renowned bespoke individual draft checking service. For details click here:
Bespoke 1:1 support from Anna & Sarah
You can find testimonials to our bespoke service on our website and Facebook business page - here
We are, and always will be Stronger Together.
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