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Real Training’s Rosalind Goodwin looks at what makes a strong EHC needs assessment application and how you might be able to streamline the process.
Applications for an EHCNA (Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment) are filling up SENCO “to-do” lists in increasing volume. The number of children with SEND in mainstream schools has risen significantly in recent years; according to DfE statistics, requests for an EHCP increased by a fifth between 2022 and 2023.
As an Educational Psychologist and someone who has sat on many panels where EHCNAs have been considered, I’ve read my fair share of applications. What I’m observing is that an increasing number lack sufficient evidence that the Graduated Approach has been followed, presumably as a result of the sheer volume SENCOs are dealing with. For borderline cases, this can lead to more requests for information from the school, or, in worst case scenarios, decisions not to issue EHCPs that might otherwise have been deemed appropriate.
An EHCP should not be the “de facto” end goal for every child with SEND. The objective of following the Graduated Approach is to properly evidence what progress can be made with planned support in place – rather than setting out from the beginning to document its failure. For quite a few children with SEND a good programme of classroom support alongside help from external professionals will be sufficient – this needs careful communication with parents from the get-go.
But what about those who really do need the EHCNA? Dealing with applications efficiently and effectively is a fine art. There simply aren’t many shortcuts that can (or should) be taken. That said, there may be opportunities to streamline processes without cutting corners, particularly when it comes to making better use of external professionals’ time.
Because this is such an important area, I wanted to briefly outline some ideas and personal observations for improving an EHCNA application and the processes that feed into it.
It may seem obvious but this is where a large number of requests are falling down. Technically evidence of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) is not, strictly speaking, required for an assessment. However, its absence would mean that in the majority of cases, it would be very difficult to determine whether an EHCP would be needed. Indeed, it could result in a plan not being issued. (See IPSEA guidance for the regulations around asking for an EHC needs assessment.)
There are three core things I would suggest that will help your application;
The information you include in your EHCNA application will also be included in the EHCP if the assessment is agreed and an EHCP issued. It is important, therefore, that the EHCNA itself is pupil-centred and reflects authentic collaboration with parent(s) or carer(s).
The SEND Code of Practice outlines this expectation;
Aside from the various scales and questionnaires that can be used to capture pupil voice (and specific tools such as Talking Mats for children with more severe needs), there are other creative techniques to consider leveraging. Mind-mapping, for example, can help students work out what they want to say, while using Lego can also be a good route into a conversation. When it comes to self-expression you could use “all about me” videos, or pictures that document how children have expressed their views through art. Transcribe snippets to use within your EHCNA form and refer to images and other multimedia in the appendix.
Explore further: Find out about methods of eliciting pupil voice as part of a person-centred planning approach on our Autism Spectrum Conditions and Advanced SEND Leader courses.
Including parental voice can help clarify aspirations. If they (and their child) really want to remain in a mainstream setting this should be expressed in the application. It is advantageous for an EHCP to contain focused outcomes that are meaningful to the child and their family, rather than so many that it becomes unmanageable and the child can no longer be supported in a mainstream setting.
Educational psychologists always wish we could make our allocated time go further. What I want to highlight is that there are different ways of using our time to help understand children’s needs. Bear in mind, if you want to provide ‘proof’ of involvement, it may not be necessary to produce evidence of a full assessment – which could save you valuable EP time. Consultation discussions (which might have been preceded by observation/s) or EP participation in meetings, might be sufficient.
Two important caveats; firstly you must evidence that the outcomes of such discussion have informed the support offered to the pupil. Secondly, variation exists when it comes to each local authority, so it’s important to clarify what expectations exist when it comes to ‘evidence’ of involvement with EHCNA applications.
Also worth considering is whether prior pupil involvement with an EP has been documented in a setting the pupil has recently attended. This may mean that you can use existing EP information to inform the support you are now offering, rather than starting again from square one.
When it comes to working with other supporting professionals e.g. speech and language therapists, specialist teachers etc. similar principles will apply. As ever, things vary according to local authority guidelines, so check expectations about how you evidence the involvement of professionals.
In some local authorities, outcome meetings are held once an EHCNA has been completed. However others don’t follow this process, the result being that multiple outcomes are suggested by different professionals completing an EHCNA advice report.
If all of these are included, this might mean that the EHCP has many, (even too many) outcomes – all of which would be expected to be considered during the Annual Review. To avoid this, you might find it helpful to hold a meeting with the child’s parent/s / carer/s together with relevant professionals (Speech & Language Therapist, member/s of outreach teams, EP etc.) before submitting the EHCNA request through which outcomes are agreed.
This means if any professionals are subsequently asked to provide advice, they are aware of outcomes that have been previously consolidated and agreed.
| Strong EHCNA | EHCNA Application with Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Contains evidence of the Graduated Approach having been followed (e.g. several IEPs/ PLPs dating back several months/years are included through which it is clear that earlier IEPs / PLPs have been reviewed. This review clearly informs amendments in targets and provision. There is evidence of authentic engagement with parent/s / carer/s either through their contributions during IEP / PLP meetings having been recorded or inclusion of minutes from other meetings in which they have participated. Contains evidence of involvement of supporting agencies whose input has informed support. | Lacks evidence that the Graduated Approach has been followed. Exceptions might include circumstances such as a child with a very high level of need recently joining the setting where it is clear that their needs will exceed the available provision. |
Contains evidence that supporting agencies have been involved at the appropriate stage and that resultant input and/or advice has informed the support offered. For example, in the EHCNA reports or equivalent form, professional agencies are included. Suggestions regarding support and/or actions agreed during their involvement are referenced in IEPs, PLPs or other documents. In this way it is clear that the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process has been followed. | Includes sections of reports completed by supporting professionals which have been copied and pasted into the EHCNA application. Lacks references to how these have informed an understanding of the child’s needs or the support that has been offered. |
Demonstrates that efforts have been made to capture the voice of the child (format depends upon the age and communication capabilities but might involve approaches such as Talking Mats,) together with the voice of their parent/s / carer/s It is clear that there has been discussion with parent/s / carer/s or that there has been some other format through which they have been invited to share their views and aspirations, e.g., via a MAPs [Making Action Plans] meeting). | There is an absence of the opposite. |
Having read many EHCNA applications, I have come to recognise how much time and commitment they involve. The dedication of those completing them is evident. However, sometimes applications can just miss the mark in terms of providing depth of evidence that the Graduated Approach has been followed.
It would be contrary to the principles of EHCPs to try and suggest ‘shortcuts’ when completing applications. However, by thinking about how – for the most part – EHCNA requests result from the following of a process through which evidence has been gathered along the way, making the request should (if it’s the right decision for the child) be a meaningful ‘next step’ rather than the start of the journey.
By Rosalind Goodwin – Educational Psychologist
Following work as a primary school teacher, Rosalind (Roz) has been an educational psychologist for over twenty years. She has worked in several London authorities as well as for a range of independent organisations.
Roz has participated in several multi-disciplinary panels including those relating to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessments, the issuing of EHC Plans, the placement of children and young people in specialist provisions and panels relating to SEND first-tier tribunal appeals.
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