Where do you go if you need help with your child’s Education, Health and Care Plan? Who can assist?
We often hear from parent carers that they need help with the EHCP process, but don’t know where to look. A web search brings up thousands of results, so where do you start? Below, we have listed some of the resources we suggest.
Firstly, if you are having problems, consider asking SENDIASS for help – they are a statutory service and offer independent advice. They are not part of the local authority. They can intervene on your behalf which is not something that the PFBA have the authority to do. You can find their details here.
The PFBA runs occasional free workshops for parents – these are 3-hour sessions, and the group size is small so parents who attend have plenty of time to discuss any issues they are having related to the EHCP process. The best way to stay updated with new dates for these is to join our email list, and you can do that by going to the Join Us page on this website and filling in the form.
However, what if you need help and there are no workshops organised, or you can’t attend one?
The Local Offer website has a range of one-minute guides which give a good overview of a particular subject. The guide explaining the EHCP assessment process is here. There are other EHCP-related guides which you can read via this link.
The Council for Disabled Children has some great YouTube videos and we recommend these as a good introduction (click on the titles to watch):
What is an EHCP and who is it for?
What is an Annual Review of an EHCP?
The EHCP and the person-centred connection.
The CDC also has an excellent (if a little long!) document which gives examples of good practice with EHCPs – read it here.
The Special Needs Jungle website has produced flowcharts to help parents navigate the EHCP process and you can download them from here.
IPSEA advises families whose children have all types of SEN/disability, including behavioural problems, communication difficulties, learning disabilities and autism. IPSEA often helps families before their child has even been diagnosed. IPSEA’s legally based advice gives parents the confidence to exercise their rights.