EHC report 2015
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The document outlines Leicester City's 7-stage process for statutory assessment and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for children with special educational needs. The process involves: 1) a request for assessment; 2) determining if an assessment is needed; 3) gathering information; 4) an integrated assessment meeting; 5) a resource allocation panel decision; 6) finalizing the EHC plan; and 7) an implementation meeting. The local authority aims to complete the process within 20 weeks to ensure children's needs are properly assessed and addressed through EHC plans.
EHC report 2015
- 2. Introduction 2 Following the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014, Leicester City has developed a new approach and set of processes for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Key features include: Publication of a local offer containing information about provision for children and young people across education, health and care services A new statutory assessment process covering the 0 - 25 age range with co-ordinated assessment and outcome focused planning Children and young person and the family at the centre of person centred planning and decision making processes Stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for children and young people including transition to further education/ training, employment and independent living and support EHC plans to replace Statements of SEN and Learning Difficulty Assessments (for young people in college) providing greater personalisation of support including the option of a personal budget Joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close co- operation between education, health and social care services. Children and young people who currently have Statements of SEN or EHC plans. This will be done over a 3 year period with those children or young people who are about to leave their current placement being support up to the point that this is replaced by an EHC plan.
- 3. Overview of statutory assessment process For children or young people undergoing statutory assessment, Leicester City has developed the following 7 stage process: 1. Request for a statutory assessment 2. Statutory Assessment Request Decision (SARD) Meeting 3. Introductory Meeting or Family Meeting 4. Integrated Assessment Meeting (IAM) 5. Resource Allocation Panel 6. Process to agree final EHC Plan 7. Implementation Meeting The statutory assessment process should be completed within 20 weeks (ie, from date on which the 3 Overview
- 4. 4 Stage 1 Request for a Statutory Assessment A request for a statutory assessment for a child or young person can be made by: The child’s parents/carers A young person over the age of 16 but under the age of 25 A young person in a youth custodial establishment The school or college which the child or young person attends (ideally with the knowledge and agreement of the parent or young person where possible) In addition, anyone else can bring a child or young person who has (or may have) special educational needs to the attention of the Local Authority. This could include: Foster carers Health and social care professionals Early years practitioners Youth offending teams, probation services A family friend. The request is logged by the Local Authority (Special Education Service) and a letter (letter 1) is sent to the following notifying them that the Local Authority is considering a request for an assessment: The child’s parent or the young person The health service Local Authority officers responsible for social care for children or young people with special educational needs Lhe setting or school where the child or young person attends The case is allocated to an Assessment Co-ordinator (a member of the Local Authority’s Special Education Service). The Assessment Co-ordinator contacts the parents/carers or young person (over the received and arrange for the parents/carers or young person to have a Family Supporter. The role of the Family Supporter is to support the parents/carers or young person through the statutory assessment process. The Family Supporter role can be undertaken by a Special Educational Needs Disability Information and by an Independent Supporter. Parents/carers or the young person can decide not to have a Family Supporter. The Assessment Co-ordinator also gathers information about any individual and/or language support needs that the parents/ carers or young person may have. This information including the information Family Supporter so they can use this to inform the child or young person’s Personal the parents/carers or young person about consideration of the child or young person’s needs). or by a young person or a non-school based professional, the Assessment Co-ordinator person attends or, for a child or young person not in a school or setting, from professionals
- 5. Statutory Assessment Request Decision (SARD) Meeting For those requests for a statutory assessment which have been agreed, the Assessment Co- ordinator, in liaison with the Family Supporter, contacts the parents/carers and/or young person to organise an Introductory Meeting. At the same time, the Assessment Co- ordinator requests advice about the child or young person’s education, health and care needs to be submitted within a 6 week period (letter 2) from the following: Parents/carers and/or young person The child or young person’s school, college or setting A qualified teacher of the hearing and/ or visually impaired where the child or young person has a visual and/or hearing impairment Health care professionals An educational psychologist Social care professionals Any other professionals that the parents/ carers or young person would wish the Local Authority to approach And any other advice and information that the Local Authority considers relevant Supporter, contacts the parents/carers and/or young person to organise a Family Meeting. 5 Stage 2
- 6. 6 Introductory Meeting For requests which have been agreed as a statutory assessment, the Assessment Co- ordinator and the Family Supporter meet with the parents/carers or young person to: Explain the assessment process Building on information already received, find out further information about the child or young person’s needs by completing a Personal Profile Where relevant explaining support available through the Local Offer Help the parents/carers and the child or young person plan for their involvement in the statutory assessment and the Integrated Assessment Meeting (IAM). The child or young person’s Personal Profile is a document that is written with the parents/ carers or young person and records the following information: Contact details for the child and parents/ carers or young person Information about the child or young per- son’s education, health and care needs Child/young person’s interests, strengths and aspirations. What is important to and for the child or young person What is working/not working for the child or young person Outcomes that are important for the child or young person Details about professions currently involved with the child or young person. Subject to the parents/carers and/or the young person’s consent, the Assessment Co- to the statutory assessment so as to ensure that parents/carers and/or the young person do not have to repeat this information to each professional as part of the assessment process. The Assessment Co-ordinator then organises parents/carers or young person’s preferences for dates, venues and person to facilitate the meeting. Stage 3a (Either)
- 7. Family Meeting For requests which have not been agreed as a statutory assessment, the Assessment Co- ordinator and the Family Supporter meet with the parents/carers or young person to: Explain the Local Authority’s decision in not agreeing to a statutory assessment Explain support available through the Local Offer Provide information about mediation and the SEND tribunal appeals process, disagreement resolution and complaints procedures. the child or young person’s school, college or setting to arrange to attend the next special meeting in order to further explore options for support. This meeting is also attended by the Family Supporter. (Where the Family Officer, this person can continue in their role person). for a statutory assessment, then it may be appropriate for the Assessment Co-ordinator to bring this back to the next SARD meeting for further consideration by the Local Authority. The decision not to agree to a The IAM is the meeting where the findings of the statutory assessment are discussed and a description of the child or young person’s education, health and care needs is co- produced. This is undertaken using a person centred process and meeting format. On this basis of this discussion, a recommendation is made to the Local Authority as to whether the child or young person’s needs can be met through the normally available resources or whether an EHC Plan is required. Recommendations about Personal Budgets can also be made as part of this discussion. Information from the child or young person’s Personal Profile and advice is summarised by the Assessment Co-ordinator and circulated to everyone attending the IAM. The Assessment Co-ordinator invites the following to attend the IAM: The parents/carers Anybody that the parents/carers wishes to attend with them Child or young person Assessment Co-ordinator Family Supporter Professionals who have provided advice and/or who are currently involved in work- ing with the child/young person. Stage 3b (Or) Stage 4 Integrated Assessment Meeting (IAM) 7
- 8. Resource Allocation Panel (RAP) The RAP is the meeting where decisions in relation to statutory EHC assessments and EHC Plans are agreed including recommendations from Integrated Assessment Meetings (IAM). This meeting is attended by: The Assessment Co-ordinator Representatives from schools/settings, special educational needs support services, parent groups Education, health and care commissioners This panel decides whether a EHC Plan is required to make the provision necessary to enable the child or young person achieve the outcomes that have been identified for them and where this is the case, the level and types of funding (including Personal Budget) and placement. Where it is decided at the RAP, that a EHC Plan is not required then the Assessment Co-ordinator and Family Supporter, within 16 weeks of the original request, should arrange a Family Meeting with the parents/carers or young person in order to explain the Local Authority’s decision and the reasons for this. This should subsequently be confirmed in writing to the parents/carers or young person along with a summary of the outcomes of the statutory EHC assessment (ie, the child or young person’s views, interests and aspirations, their special educational, health and care needs, outcomes and special educational and health and care provision). Information should also be provided about mediation, SEND Tribunal appeals process and complaints procedures. child or young person’s school or setting to arrange to attend the next special educational further explore options for support. This meeting is also attended by the Family carers or young person. Where the Family by the parents/carers or young person). Stage 5 8
- 9. 9 Process to agree final EHC Plan Following the Resource Allocation Panel (RAP) decision, the Assessment Co-ordinator will send the parents/carers and/or young person a proposed draft EHC Plan (with no named placement at this stage) informing them that they have a 15 day period within which they can give their views and/or make any representations on the content of the plan and to express any preference they have for placement. The Assessment Co-ordinator should advise the parents/carers and/or young person where they can find information about relevant schools and colleges and offer to meet with them where they request this in liaison with any involved Family Supporter. parental/carers or young person’s preference. or the young person and the resolution of any issues in relation to the content of the plan and agreement from the school and/or college as to placement, the Assessment Co-ordinator school, college or setting. This should be first received. Where is has not been possible to resolve or the young person about the content of the plan and/or placement , the Assessment mediation, SEND Tribunal appeals process and complaints procedures. Stage 6 Stage 7 The EHC Plan implementation meeting is a planning meeting that follows the comple- tion of the statutory EHC assessment and the production of an EHC Plan. The purpose of the meeting is to plan the short term and yearly targets, support and monitoring to enable the child or young person to achieve the outcomes in their EHC Plan. This meeting should be held within 4 - 6 weeks issued. The Assessment Co-ordinator (part of the Local Authority’s Special Education Service) college or setting to arrange and organise this meeting and to invite the child, parents/ - involved in the assessment. Implementation Meeting
- 10. Special Education Service Learning Services Leicester City Council 1st Floor 10 York Road Leicester LE1 5TS Tel: 0116 454 2050 Fax: 0116 229 4369 Email: ses@leicester.gov.uk