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EHC Assessment Team

Who are the EHC Assessment Team

The Education Health Care Assessment Team consists of Local Authority Officers, including a Team Manager and Senior SEN Casework Officers and SEN Casework Officers.

We sit within the Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) area of the Access and Achievement team.

We oversee the Local Authority’s statutory function in respect of Education Health Care Needs Assessments and Annual Reviews of Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice.

What are the aims of the Service?

Education Health Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA)

Our aim is to provide a service where requests for EHCNAs take place in a robust, evidence-based and timely way by communicating with all partners.

Our partners include:

  • parents
  • schools and education settings
  • health colleagues
  • social care colleagues
  • other education based services such as Educational Psychologists

Our aim is to complete the EHCNA in 20 weeks where children and young people meet the criteria for a decision to assess and/or a decision to issue an EHCP.

Reviews of Education Health Care Plans

When a child/young person has an EHC plan, the Local Authority’s aim is to make a decision following the annual review meeting.

This is usually held by the child/young person’s education setting about whether to continue with, change or end the EHC plan.

Our aim is to make the decision within 2 weeks of the annual review meeting and to issue the amended EHCP, where needed, within 8 weeks of the decision letter.

Placement of children with EHCPs maintained by the Local Authority

Our aim is to ensure children and young people with EHCPs are placed in a suitable setting which is able to meet their special educational needs.

At Phase Transfer (new into Reception, Juniors, Secondary and Post 16 provision), we aim to name the settings by our statutory dates (15th February for school age children and 31st March for Post 16 young people).

Disagreement resolution, mediation and tribunals

We will take part in all forms of disagreement resolution, mediation and Tribunals with parents and carers in respect of the appealable EHC processes.

What will the EHC Assessment Team provide?

  • We provide each child and young person with an allocated SEN caseworker in the locality in which they live or attend school
  • A service that operates for 52 weeks of the year
  • We collaborate and provide support to partners during the EHC assessment process, including communicating with parents, education establishments, health partners and social care teams to ensure the correct information and advice is received by the team to aid our decision making and the writing of the EHC plan
  • We provide communication in respect of the assessment, review and phase transfer processes by letter, email, text and telephone
  • We operate an online EHC hub system for parents, carers and young people to engage with during the assessment process
  • We attend important meetings in relation to children with Education Health Care Plans (including CIN, CP and Annual Review meetings)
  • We communicate with schools through consultation about placement of children with Education Health Care Plans upon receipt of a new plan, when a request for change of placement is received following an annual review or at phase transfer
  • We train partners on processes and systems used as part of our work e.g. the EHC hub or training to SENCOs
  • Signpost to relevant services where children and young people with SEND (either with or without an Education Health Care Plan) need further support e.g. School admissions, SENDIASS and Early Help

For more information, please contact:

EHC Assessment Team - Walsall Children’s Services, Tel: 01922 652871

Educational Development Centre, Pelsall Lane, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1NG

sen@walsall.gov.uk

If you have a query about the EHC Hub, please email: ehchubtechnicalqueries@walsall.gov.uk

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