What does EHCP mean?

EHCP is an important term that needs every teacher needs to know. EHCP means Education Health and Care Plan and is a legally binding document that defines the special education, care, and health needs of students who need extra support beyond what the school can provide. An EHCP is put together by professionals in education, health, and social care to make sure children with SEND have the right support to help them through their education and to adulthood (until they are 25). The entire EHCP creation process takes about 20 weeks, this is from the point where an assessment request has been made to when the plan is completed. EHCP was once known as a statement of special educational needs. Students with an EHCP are usually entitled to extra one-to-one support from their teachers or school and most commonly have support outside of schools such as physiotherapists, psychiatrists, behavioural experts, and any other relevant specialists they may need. To fully understand the meaning of EHCPs, you will need to know what they contain, who they are made for and why they are so important for students with special needs.

What does an EHCP include?

An EHCP includes 12 sections of key information that will be read by parents and carers, teachers and other experts that work with the student such as therapists and specialists. The 12 sections are:

1. The views, interests, and aspirations of the student

2. The student’s special education needs (SEN)

3. The health needs that relate to the SEN or disability of the student

4. The social care need that relates to the SEN or disability of the student

5. The planned outcomes for the student

6. Provision for the needs mentioned in section 2

7. Any health provisions

8. Any social care provision required by the student

9. Any other social care provisions relating to the student’s SEN or disability

10. The name and type of school or setting

11. Details of any personal budget

12. Advice and information from the EHCP assessment

How does an EHCP help?

Having an EHCP is a huge advantage for SEN and SEND students. Firstly, it allows the student’s school to apply for funding to make their learning environment as suitable as possible. The funding can be used to arrange a teaching assistant to support the student in class, pay for visits from support professionals outside of the school, buy extra necessary equipment and anything else that may be required or stipulated by the EHCP. EHCPs make it possible to apply for special schools. When the student moves from one school or college to the other their EHCP saves a lot of explanation required by their new teachers and will give them all the information they need to best accommodate them in their class. An EHCP for disabled children can even provide one adult or carer with free entrance to many children-friendly places like zoos and theme parks.

Having an EHCP gives SEN and SEND students a lot of extra support. From providing the necessary information to helping parents and teachers to better care for the student. You can ask your local authority to carry out an EHCP assessment, you can also find organisations that provide this service on the internet as well. At Simply Education we know what it takes to give SEN students the right education and we understand how important it is to provide them with the right support. If you are interested in any SEN and SEND positions, such as a SEN teaching assistant, then register with us today at https://www.simplyeducation.co.uk/register.