What is an EHCP?

An Education, Health and Care Plan, or EHCP, is one of the most powerful tools available to families of children with special educational needs and disabilities. But the process of getting one, understanding one and enforcing one can feel overwhelming. This guide explains everything you need to know.

What is an EHCP?

An Education, Health and Care Plan is a legally binding document issued by your local authority that sets out a child or young person’s special educational needs, the outcomes they are working towards, and the specific provision that must be put in place to meet those needs. It covers education, health and social care, not just school support.

Unlike a SEND Support Plan (which is written by schools and has no legal force), an EHCP places a legal duty on the local authority to provide the support it specifies. This distinction matters enormously: if a school fails to deliver provision set out in an EHCP, the local authority is legally responsible.

Who can have an EHCP?

EHCPs are available for children and young people aged 0–25 who have special educational needs or disabilities that cannot be met by the support ordinarily available within their school or setting.

What does an EHCP contain?

A completed EHCP is structured into sections A through K. The most important for families are:

Section B, SEN: A description of your child’s special educational needs
Section E, Outcomes: Specific, measurable outcomes your child is working towards
Section F, Educational provision: The specific support that must be provided in education settings
Section G, Health provision: Health care provision reasonably required (e.g. SLT, OT, physiotherapy)
Section I, Placement: The name of the school or educational setting

Section F is often the most contested part of an EHCP. Vague wording like ‘access to SLT as required’ is not legally enforceable. Specific wording like ‘30 minutes individual SLT weekly, delivered by a qualified SLT, during term time’ is. Always push for specificity.

How do you apply for an EHCP?

Anyone can request an EHC needs assessment, you don’t need the school’s permission or a GP referral. Parents, carers, young people themselves (if aged 16+), schools or other professionals can all make a request to the local authority.

In Northumberland, requests are made to Northumberland County Council’s SEND Team. Your request should include evidence of your child’s needs, school reports, previous professional assessments, a description of the impact of their difficulties on their daily life and learning, and any specialist reports you have.

Top tip: write your request letter in terms of impact and outcomes, not just diagnosis. The local authority needs to understand how your child’s needs affect their ability to access education, not just what condition they have.

What happens after you apply?

The local authority has 6 weeks from receiving your request to decide whether to carry out an EHC needs assessment. They will write to you with their decision.

If they agree to assess, they will gather advice from relevant professionals, educational psychologists, doctors, therapists and others. This is when having a high-quality specialist report (like an SLT assessment or autism assessment report) becomes crucial.

From the initial request to the final EHCP being issued, the process should take no more than 20 weeks. In practice, delays are common, but the 20-week timeline is a legal requirement, and local authorities can be challenged if they miss it.

Can they refuse to assess?

Yes, but you have the right to appeal this decision to the SEND Tribunal. Many refusals are overturned on appeal, particularly when supported by quality specialist evidence.

What role does an SLT report play in an EHCP?

For children with speech, language and communication needs, an SLT assessment report is often the single most important piece of specialist evidence in the EHCP. It should describe:

Your child’s current levels of functioning across all areas of speech, language and communication
The specific impact of their difficulties on accessing the school curriculum
Evidence-based, specific recommendations for provision (not vague suggestions)
Measurable outcomes that can be reviewed at Annual Reviews

At Speech Stuff, we write our reports specifically to be useful in EHCP processes. We know what local authority decision-makers and SEND panels need to see, and we write accordingly.

What is an Annual Review?

Once an EHCP is issued, it must be reviewed at least annually. The Annual Review is an opportunity to update the EHCP, check whether outcomes have been met, and make changes to provision where needed. Schools are responsible for organising Annual Reviews, but parents have the right to request an early review if circumstances change significantly.

Updated professional reports (including SLT assessments) are valuable at Annual Reviews, particularly if your child’s needs have changed or if you’re seeking a change of provision or school placement.

What can you do if you disagree with the EHCP?

You have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal (also called SENDIST) if you disagree with a decision about your child’s EHCP. Common grounds for appeal include: refusal to assess; refusal to issue an EHCP; the description of needs (Sections B or C); the outcomes (Section E); the provision (Sections F or G); or the placement (Section I).

Before going to Tribunal, you must go through mediation, though mediation is not compulsory for the appeal itself. Many cases settle at mediation or before the Tribunal hearing. Having strong specialist evidence, including detailed SLT and assessment reports, significantly improves outcomes at Tribunal.