Education, health and Care plans

An EHC plan is a legal document that describes a child or young person's special educational, health and social care needs. It explains the extra help that will be given to meet those needs and how that help will support the child or young person to achieve what they want to in their life. Plans will set out the child's needs across the four areas of need (cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social emotional and mental health, and sensory, physical and medical). The plan will also look at the outcomes that are to be achieved, and the provision required to help the child. It will also set out health and social care needs, any outcomes and provision relating to those, details of the educational setting to be attended, and details of any personal budget given. For more details about what an EHC plan should look like, and what should be contained in each section, our colleagues at IPSEA have some very excellent information, which can be found on their website here.

EHC plans are for children and young people whose special educational needs require more help than would normally be provided in a mainstream setting (a college, school, nursery).

Although the plan can include health or social care needs, your child will not get a plan if they only have health or social care needs that do not affect their education.

An EHC plan can be issued to a child or young person between the ages of 0 and 25 years.

EHC plans are drawn up by the local authority after a 20 week assessment, if the assessment determines one is necessary. All the professionals involved with your child will contribute to this assessment, and subsequent EHC plan, as well as yourself and your child. 

The plan must be reviewed at least once a year. At the end of the review the local authority may make changes to the plan, end it or leave it unchanged. Read about annual reviews here.

The plan will remain in place until your child leaves education or it is decided that your child no longer needs the plan to help them in their education. If you move to another local authority the plan will be transferred.

In Bolton, all EHC matters are dealt with by the SEND assessment team, based at Smithills SICT, Smithills Deane Road, Bolton, BL1 4QB.