EHC assessment applications: your how-to guide

Last reviewed on 11 June 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 32577

Learn how you can create a strong application for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, including the evidence to provide and how to present it.

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Contents

  1. Contact your LA to check your local procedures
  2. Make sure you collect the right evidence 
  3. Make the application person-centred
  4. Streamline the application
  5. Get in touch with local SENCOs

Contact your LA to check your local procedures

Every local authority (LA):

  • Conducts its education, health and care (EHC) request processes differently
  • Is able to develop criteria as guidelines to help decide when to carry out an EHC needs assessment (and after the assessment, whether to issue an EHC plan) – see the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (paragraph 9.16)

Special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) are also often required to complete EHC assessment application forms provided by the LA. 

So check with your LA to find out:

  • Its criteria for deciding when to complete an EHC needs assessment 
  • Which forms you need to complete

LA example

These are set out in its guide to requesting an EHC plan (see pages

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Also in 'SEN assessment and statements/EHC plans'