EHC needs assessment process: what happens and what comes next
If the local authority agrees to assess, it gathers advice about the child or young person’s education, health and care needs, the outcomes sought and the provision that may be required. Parents and the child or young person should be involved throughout.
SEND law and local procedures can change. Check the current official guidance and your local authority’s process before acting.
EHC needs assessment at a glance
The process moves from the local authority’s decision to assess, through gathering education, health, social care and parent or young-person advice, to a decision on whether an EHC plan is necessary.
- Assessment agreed: the local authority gathers the required advice and evidence.
- Parents and the child or young person contribute views, evidence and desired outcomes.
- Relevant professionals provide advice about needs, outcomes and provision.
- The local authority decides whether an EHC plan is necessary and tells the family what happens next.
What the assessment is for
An EHC needs assessment is not just a school assessment. It is the local authority’s statutory process for building a fuller picture of education, health and social care needs and deciding whether an EHC plan is necessary.
The SEND Code says the local authority must gather advice about needs, desired outcomes and the education, health and care provision that may be required. Existing advice can sometimes be used if the professional, the local authority and the parent or young person agree that it is sufficient and current.
Who is usually asked for advice
The local authority should seek information from the parent or young person and from the education setting. It must also obtain relevant health, educational psychology and social care advice, with additional advice where appropriate.
For a child or young person in or beyond Year 9, the assessment should also consider preparation for adulthood. If you think a particular professional has important information, tell the case officer and explain why their advice matters.
What to do today
- Make a simple list of the child’s strengths, difficulties, support already tried and what is still not working.
- Check whether the local authority has asked the right professionals for advice.
- Send any relevant reports you already hold and keep a copy of everything you submit.
- Write down any important needs that are not obvious in school, such as fatigue after school, communication difficulties, sensory needs or support required at home.
What happens next
Advice requested by the local authority is normally expected within six weeks of the request for that advice.
By 16 weeks from the original EHC needs assessment request, the local authority should tell you whether it will issue an EHC plan. If it decides to issue one, a draft is prepared and the overall process to a final plan is normally 20 weeks, subject to statutory exceptions.
Free EHC assessment planning resource
Organise reports, needs, provision and questions while the assessment is underway with our free EHCP Evidence Organiser & Annual Review Preparation Pack.
Official sources
Related guides
FAQ: What is the process of an EHC needs assessment?
What happens after the local authority agrees to assess?
The council gathers advice about the child or young person's education, health and care needs, including advice from the parent or young person, education professionals, an educational psychologist and other relevant professionals. It then decides whether to issue an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
How long does the EHCP assessment process take?
In England, the overall process from an EHC needs assessment request to a final EHC plan is normally subject to a 20-week statutory deadline, with specific exceptions. The decision whether to assess is generally due within six weeks; if an assessment takes place, the decision whether to issue a plan is generally due within 16 weeks of the original request. These are deadlines, not guaranteed completion dates.
What if the council decides not to issue an EHCP?
Ask for the written decision and information about appeal rights. A refusal to issue an EHC plan can generally be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND), subject to applicable requirements and deadlines. See GOV.UK: extra SEN help and IPSEA: EHC needs assessments.
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