All children or young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are different. Not all of them will need an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). SEN support might be enough to meet their needs.
An EHC assessment involves gathering information about the child or young person’s education, health and care needs. We use this information to help us decide whether an EHCP is needed.
You can request an assessment if you are:
- a parents or carer
- a young person aged 16 to 25
- a staff member of a school or college (after discussing this with the parent or carers or young person)
- health or social care professional (after discussing)
EHC Need Assessment, questions for parents and carers
As part of the application process parents and carer are asked the following questions:
- Does your child have a SEN support plan?
- Have you discussed your concerns with your setting's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)?
- What special educational needs does your child or young person have?
- Has a referral been made to any other services? For example:
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech and Language
- Children and Young People Service (CYPS)
- You family doctor, or
- Early Help
- Why do you want an EHC Needs Assessment for your child?
- Things I would like you to know about my child?
- Other things you think are important.
There is lots of information about EHCP's online. Some information can be confusing and lead to misunderstandings. Take a look at the SEND Myths document for more help.
How do I request an EHC needs assessment?
You can make a request by doing one of the following:
- speak with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at the school or setting
- apply on Citizen Portal. you might already have an account if you have a applied for school places online. Find out more on our Citizen Portal page.
- email EHCP@Newcastle.gov.uk
- Post your request to: SEND Support Assessment and Review Team, Newcastle City Council, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH
We recommend you apply through the Citizen portal as there are many benefits including being able to:
- track the progress of an EHC assessment
- view letters and information from professionals and caseworkers
- receive messages and updates
- and more!
No matter how you apply, we strongly encourage you to sign up to the Citizen Portal.
If you are professional providing advice for a review, you should login to the Professional Portal.
What happens after I make a request?
Our SEND Support Assessment and Review (SEND SAR) team will receive your application. They will prepare it for our multi-agency panel to consider. More information might be requested from you, the school, and other professionals.
Within 6 weeks, our panel looks at applications for EHC needs assessment. They will decide whether:
- to start the EHC needs assessment
- an EHC needs assessment is not necessary at this time
If we decide it is not necessary, we will tell you why we think this is. We will also offer advice on what could happen next. You will be given information on how to appeal the decision.
How does the panel make a decision?
The panel is made up of professionals from different services including:
- education services
- health services
- social care services
This helps us get a range of views and make an informed decision.