This guidance is also available as a downloadable document
Please remember to download the current EHCP Plan from the EHC Hub prior to starting a review.
Guidance for settings using the EHC Hub for reviews
The information below is designed for those in educational settings who are responsible for the review of an EHC plan meeting. The meeting is part of a wider process of reviewing the EHC plan, rather than a meeting that happens in isolation.
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The review of an EHC Plan MUST take place at least annually for any child or young person with an EHC Plan. The education provider, other professionals and the local authority all play a part in this process.
The review of the plan and the decision about whether to keep it the same, change it or cease it, is the responsibility of the local authority. The decision is based on information and advice about the child or young person’s progress. Evidence for this comes from the information discussed at the review meeting and recorded in the review meeting report.
In order for there to be an informed conversation at the review meeting, it is important that advice and information is sought from and provided by key agencies and those involved with the child or young person.
Through Quality First Teaching, including the Assess, Plan, Do, Review approach to meeting needs, it may be that further professional input is needed to enable the child or young person to make the progress expected.
- This advice and information must be sought by the person coordinating the review meeting in advance of the meeting, so that it can be shared in advance of the meeting, and a discussion of it take place at the review meeting.
- At the meeting, it is important to include the child’s views, as well as the adults.
- There should be a review of the short-term school level targets as steps towards achieving the longer term out come in the EHC Plan, as well as review of the longer-term outcomes.
The written report from any contributing professional must be included with the review meeting report when it is sent to the local authority, as evidence to support any recommendation of a change to the EHC Plan.
The local authority SEN team will consider the information and evidence provided within the review meeting report and supporting evidence and respond with its decision to keep the plan the same, propose to change or cease it. Where it is agreed changes are made, amendments to the plan will be proposed.
The EHC Hub case management system is being introduced to support the process of review of the EHC plan. It helps with preparation in advance of the meeting, and the review of the outcomes in the plan during the meeting. The EHC Hub enables all those involved with the child’s case to contribute in advance, receive their invitation to the meeting and then access a copy of the review report and the local authority response to the review.
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EHC plans should be used to actively monitor children and young people’s progress towards their outcomes and longer-term aspirations. They must be reviewed by the local authority as a minimum every 12 months. Reviews must focus on the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan. The review must also consider whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate. SEND code of Practice 9.166
Relevant legislation: Section 44 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and Regulations 2, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the SEND Regulations 2014
Step by step guidance to arranging a review meeting
Meeting should be held at least 4 weeks prior to the deadline date to allow for the Local Authority to process and conclude the review.
Meetings can be held earlier than the deadline but should always be within 12 months of the last review being concluded by the local authority.
To ensure good practice
- Consider what other reviews need to happen for the child/young person e.g. social care reviews and align where possible.
- Invites should be sent at least 16 weeks prior to the meeting date.
- A reminder should be sent 2 weeks before and any reports received shared.
You could
- Print a letter from the hub to send to parents who can’t/won’t engage with the EHC Hub
- Consider if participants can join the meeting virtually using Skype, Teams, Zoom, Tele-conferencing, Web-chat or similar
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Professionals should be invited by the team they work for e.g Social Care, Health
Guidance on which teams to invite can be found here
Answers to FAQ about inviting professionals
The following must be invited
- The child’s parents or young person,
- a representative of the school or other institution attended,
- a local authority SEN officer,
- a health service representative
- and a local authority social care representative
must be invited and given at least two weeks’ notice of the date of the meeting. Other individuals relevant to the review should also be invited, including youth offending teams and job coaches where relevant~ Code of Practice 9.176
You should invite
- teachers and teaching assistants
- SEN advisory teams
- Members of staff working with the child/ young person
- A representative from the Secondary school or college if the child or young person is about to move setting
- Teams who are responsible for outcomes in the plan, even if not currently involved
- CSW Group for reviews for young people in Year 9 onwards
To ensure good practice
- Invites should be sent at least 16 weeks prior to the meeting date.
What if a professional can’t attend?
- They can provide an update on progress towards meeting outcomes and attach reports through the EHC Hub
- If it is vital a certain professional attends the meeting, contact them directly to discuss before re-arranging. (please don’t send multiple dates)
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Answers to FAQ about contributing views
The school (or, for children and young people attending another institution, the local authority) must seek advice and information about the child or young person prior to the meeting from all parties invited, and send any advice and information gathered to all those invited at least two weeks before the meeting
What views should professionals (including SENDCOS) provide?
The EHC Hub will prompt professionals for the following:
Professionals to comment on how they feel progress is being made towards the outcomes set out in the current EHC Plan
- What has been working well and is helping the child or young person to achieve each outcome
- If there any changes needed to each outcome
- If there any additional short-term targets needed to support the child or young person to achieve each outcome
- A professional can also upload a report
- If there are no outcomes for a service to review e.g. where a service has recently become involved, a report can be uploaded as a ‘supporting document’ within the Hub, this will then be available for discussion at the review meeting
What views should parents, children and young people provide?
The EHC Hub will prompt parents, children and young people for the following:
- Do they feel that progress is being made towards some or all the outcomes set out in the EHC Plan?
- What do they feel is working well?
- What is not working well and would like to be different
To ensure good practice
- Requests for views should be sent six weeks prior to the meeting
- Views should be completed and shared two weeks prior to the meeting
- The SENDCO should also ensure their views are shared as part of this process.
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The meeting must focus on the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan, and on what changes might need to be made to the support provided to help them achieve those outcomes, or whether changes are needed to the outcomes themselves. Children, parents and young people should be supported to engage fully in the review meeting
During the Meeting
- Using the advice contributions from professionals and discussion at the meeting, consider the child or young person’s progress towards the outcomes and whether they are still appropriate
- Consider what provision is required to help the child or young person prepare for adulthood and independent living
- Review any interim targets set by the early years provider, school or college or other education provider
- Set new interim targets for the coming year and, where appropriate, agree new outcomes
- Take account of the views, feelings and wishes of the child, young person and parent, including their right to a personal budget
- Review any arrangements for direct payments {Link}
- For children and young people in Year 9 a discussion should take place about preparing for further education and/or adulthood. (please view the example report)
The meeting chair should ensure that the views on how the child or young person is currently progressing towards each outcome, as well as any recommendations for changes/ amendments to the EHC Plan are accurately recorded
Any documents or notes taken in the can be attached to the EHC Hub
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The school (or, for children and young people attending another institution, the local authority) must prepare and send a report of the meeting to everyone invited within two weeks of the meeting. The report must set out recommendations on any amendments required to the EHC plan, and should refer to any difference between the school or other institution’s recommendations and those of others attending the meeting Code of Practice 9.176
Compiling the report
- The report is a result of the discussions held at the review meeting and the views/ information provided ahead of that meeting
- Each section of the report includes a view on how the child or young person is currently progressing towards each outcome, as well as any recommendations for changes/ amendments to the EHC Plan
- The Local Authority will consider the contents of the report and any supporting documentation/ evidence and will publish their decision on whether the EHC Plan needs to be amended, ceased or maintained in its current form until the next EHCP review
To ensure good practice
- The report should be complied and submitted as soon after the meeting as soon as possible
- The report MUST be submitted within 2 weeks of the meeting taking place
- The report should be shared with all those invited to the meeting within 2 weeks
(The hub will do this automatically for those using the hub. For those who are unable to access the hub the report can be downloaded and sent)
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Within four weeks of the review meeting, the local authority must decide whether it proposes to keep the EHC plan as it is, amend the plan, or cease to maintain the plan, and notify the child’s parent or the young person and the school or other institution attended
The Local Authority will decide to
- Keep the current EHC Plan as it is
- Amend the EHC Plan
- Cease to maintain the EHC Plan
They will also include a brief reason for their decision
Keep the current EHC Plan as it is
The plan will continue to be maintained and will be reviewed within 12 months of the review being concluded
Amend the EHC Plan
If the plan needs to be amended, the local authority should start the process of amendment without delay ~ Code of Practice 9.176
An amended draft plan will be shared with parents and professionals involved and parents given at least 15 calendar days for the parent or young person to comment and make representations on the proposed changes
Cease to maintain the EHC Plan
The Local authority may decide to cease a plan if:
The review evidences that outcomes have been met
LA no longer required to maintain plan as child/YP has moved out of area
Young person moving to higher education or employment
The local authority must notify the child’s parent or the young person of their right to appeal that decision and the time limit for doing so, of the requirement for them to consider mediation should they wish to appeal, and the availability of information, advice and support, and disagreement resolution services. Code of Practice 9.206
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What if a Parent/Carer can’t use the hub?
We recommend using the hub as the most accessible method of getting the information about the EHCP Review. Parents can get support to use the hub from DIAS
TEL: 01392 383080
- EMAIL: devonias@devon.gov.uk
- www.devonias.org.uk
If they don’t want to use the hub everything can be downloaded and printed at every stage of the process.
The parents for this child are separated can they both be invited to use the hub?
You can invite as many parents/ carers and guardians to use the hub and the meeting as you feel is appropriate.
They will all have complete access to the information on the hub and they will all be able to contribute to the parent and child/young person’s views. All parents with parental responsibility should have access to the review unless there is a safeguarding issue or a court order in place.
Can someone help a child/young person/family record their views?
Yes. You can invite someone in the role of parent/carer and they will have access to support someone in contributing their views. However; if this person also needs to be contributing their own views to the meeting they should be added as a professional and won’t be able to fulfill this role. (If they are able to provide more than one e-mail address they can be added twice).
DiAS can also act in this capacity and be added to the Hub in a parent/carer role.
Can I uninvite someone to the Meeting?
Yes, just click the x at the end of their name this will remove their access to the meeting.
Can I remove someone’s access to the Hub?
No, the system asks you to check that the person you are adding should be given access. If someone is added in error, please call education systems on (01392) 380434 option 2 to resolve.
At what age can a young person be given their own access?
From 16 all young people should be given the option to have their own login. This can be added the same way as a parent/carer.
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I am an SENDCO Assistant do I need to contribute views for a review?
All professionals involved or invited to a review will be asked to contribute their views. However, if it is not appropriate for you to provide views you can submit your views without contributing any information this will close the request and clearly indicate you have not provided any information.
If a child/young person handwrites/draws their views can these be added?
Yes. Views from the child/ young person and their family can be submitted in a variety of forms. They can upload a video, picture or document. The meeting organiser can also upload anything received from a family onto the Hub.
We have keyworkers who work with individual children/young people can they help submit the child’s views?
Unfortunately, the system does not allow anyone to have two roles. They can be added as a parent/carer and would then be able to add the child/young person’s views. However, if they fulfil this role you can’t also them as a professional contributor. To have two roles they need to have two separate e-mails allowing them to have more than one account.
A professional has not submitted any advice prior to the meeting can the meeting still go ahead?
Yes. To allow you to progress to the meeting on the Hub you will need to close any outstanding requests for advice.
Can a professional submit a report as part of their views?
Professionals can upload a report as part of their contribution. They should however still answer the questions regarding outcomes and provision to ensure the plan is reviewed.
What if further information is received prior to the meeting?
If a professional wished to add more information after they have submitted their advice you can re-open their request.
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- Email : educationsystems@devon.gov.uk
- Telephone : 01392 380434 (Option 2)
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