Management Information Sheet

New guidance has been published on the Local Offer explaining local authority criteria and thresholds in deciding whether an EHC needs assessment or EHC Plan is needed. Schools and all settings (Early Years, Colleges etc) should familiarise themselves with this document and use it as an ongoing reference tool when considering EHC needs assessment requests.

The threshold guidance is written in the context of Norfolk's higher needs delegated funding model and aligns closely to the expectations of all schools and settings based on their duties under SEN Support as set out in Chapters 4, 5 and 6 of the SEN Code of Practice. In order to make effective decisions whether to undertake an EHC needs assessment for children, the local authority requires effective information and advice from the child's current setting and we ask that this is provided to the local authority at the point at which a request for an EHC needs assessment is made. If this information is not submitted at the point of request, the local authority will need to return to the child's school or setting to obtain this information which builds in unnecessary delay to the EHC needs assessment process. Having good quality information up front enables the local authority to expedite decision making; we therefore ask that schools and settings support the local authority by providing us with clear, high quality information at the point a request for an EHC needs assessment is made.

Prior to publication the guidance has been shared and discussed with Family Voice Norfolk, the strategic parent carer forum in Norfolk representing parents and carers of children with SEND and refined based on their feedback.

The new guidance is located on the Local Offer and is called "Norfolk Special Educational Needs and Disability Criteria for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans".

The new guidance document will, over the course of this academic year, be supported and supplemented by a range of new documentation including:

• New EHC Plan format and template for Norfolk
• A new and revised annual review report template for schools and settings following the annual review meeting
• A new proforma for schools and settings to make a request for an EHC needs assessment
• Publication of the SEN Graduated Approach: Provision the LA expects to be made available from mainstream schools and settings

Any questions relating to these updated documents can be directed to your link EHCP Coordinator in the first instance.