How does the provision specified in an Education Health and Care plan get delivered to the child/young person with the Education Health and Care plan?
When an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan is issued following an Education Health and Care needs assessment or a revised EHC plan is issued following an Annual Review, the local authority will ensure that appropriate funding is available for the educational setting to arrange and deliver the provision detailed in the EHC plan. This funding will be made up of notional funding and High Needs Band funding. If this funding is insufficient to provide all the provisions, the local authority will work with the educational setting and agree to provide additional funding. The reason for the amount of funding is explained to the educational setting and the educational setting should then arrange for the provision to be delivered.
Talking to the educational setting about the provision listed in the Education Health and Care plan
After a new Education Health and Care plan has been issued following an assessment, or if you/your child or young person has changed settings following the Annual Review, we would encourage you to speak to the educational setting about the provision listed in the Education Health and Care plan to understand when the intervention, equipment or support will be put into place. Sometimes educational settings need to commission the support or order equipment. Educational settings may need a short amount of time to make arrangements before some of the provisions can start. If you discuss this with the educational setting you should feel assured of what will happen and when you/your child or young person will start receiving the provision identified in the Education Health and Care plan.
What should you do if you feel the provision in your child or young person’s EHC plan is not being delivered?
If you feel the educational setting is not providing the interventions, equipment or support listed in the Education Health and Care plan or provision has stopped being provided we would encourage you to speak to the SENCO or SEN lead. The following questions may be helpful:
- Ask why the interventions, equipment or support isn’t being provided
- Ask what steps the educational setting is taking to arrange to put the interventions, equipment or support in place
- Ask the SENCO or SEN lead when the interventions, equipment or support will be in place
- Ask the SENCO/SEN lead to contact you to confirm when the provision has started. If there is likely to be further delay for the interventions, equipment or support ask the SENCO/SEN lead to contact you about this
For most families, discussions with the educational setting about implementing the interventions, equipment or support will ensure there is joined-up working between home and the educational setting and resolve any concerns.
What should you do if you’ve discussed your concerns about provision with the educational setting and it still isn’t being provided?
If you’ve spoken to the SENCO or SEN lead at your child or young person’s educational setting about your concerns, the local authority can discuss your concerns with the setting. Please complete this form to provide us with feedback.
An appropriate officer from Inclusion Somerset will contact the setting to discuss the interventions, equipment or support which you feel isn’t being provided. We may be able to provide support and guidance to the educational setting about how they can:
- Access training for school staff for specific interventions
- Access and request equipment which may not have been provided
- Access advice and information about SALT/OT providers
- Provide information about alternative provision
- Utilise the funding they receive to deliver provision
After we have spoken to the educational setting, we will contact you to share information and the next steps which will be taken by the educational setting to deliver the provision within the EHC plan.
If you need support Somerset SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support) is a free, confidential and impartial service open to all children, young people and their families on matters relating to special educational needs and disability from birth to 25. SENDIAS can provide support by phone, email or through an arranged face-to-face appointment.
What should an educational setting do if they cannot deliver the provision described in a child or young person’s EHC plan?
If you have a child or young person attending your setting you will be expected to use the notional funding and the high-needs funding to ensure the provision specified in the child or young person’s Education Health and Care plan is provided. Some settings may receive additional funding to ensure the provision can be delivered. If you are finding it difficult to put into place the interventions, equipment or support listed in the Education Health and Care plan it’s important you contact the local authority to let us know. You should contact the Inclusion Advice Line on 0300 123 2224, asking for the Inclusion Advice line when prompted.