Management Information Sheet
Annual and Transitional Reviews
This briefing aims to provide clarity and transparency through providing key information to settings regarding:
- Changes to Ways of Working
- Key information concerning annual reviews of EHCPs and updated annual review toolkit/paperwork for all settings
- Information on arrangements for annual reviews of EHCPs
- All settings involved in conducting annual reviews will need to familiarise themselves with this information
Annual reviews must be held every three to six months for children under 5 in Early Years settings, or every 12 months for all other children/young people.
There are two types of annual reviews:
- Annual reviews for all children in Year Group 8 and below
- Transitional Reviews for all children/young people in Year Group 9 and above
Changes to LA's Way of Working
Norfolk County Council has changed the way it works: we have reverted back to cluster working and we are now adopting a County Wide approach for processing annual reviews. We now have 6 reviewing officers in post who will aide and liaise with yourselves and the EHCP Coordinators in the review process.
Previously we had SEN Operational Support (business support) based in our three locality offices, with three email addresses and three postal addresses. We are now based in one office, The Professional Development Centre Norwich, we now have one email address for the county which you need to use when you are sending annual reviews.
We request all review paperwork to be completed electronically wherever possible and then emailed to CS SEN OPS SUPPORT at senopsupport@norfolk.gov.uk
However, in exceptional circumstances, paper copies of the review and all related documentation can be posted to the following address:
SEN Operational Support Team
PDC Room 16
144 Woodside Road
Norwich, NR7 9QL
Early Reviews
There may be circumstances where it is necessary to bring forward a review of an EHCP inside the 12 month period. Such circumstances can include, but are not exclusive to:
- More frequent reviews for children aged 0-5
- Where children enter into care to review their EHCP in line with care planning and the PEP
- Where children/young people enter into or are released from youth custody
- Where their needs have substantially changed meaning that the provision specified in the EHCP is no longer suitable
- Where the child/young person's educational placement is at risk of breakdown / risk of permanent exclusion
- Where the young person drops out of or is asked to leave formal post 16 education or training and is NEET (not in education, employment or training). This is especially the case for young people of "Participation" age (i.e. age 16 or 17)
- Parents also have the right to call for an early review to be held as and when they feel their child needs one
The setting should arrange the annual review, invite the parents, relevant professionals and request any advice they feel they need for the review. All of this should be completed well in advance of the review. The setting also need to complete the annual review paper work which can be found on Norfolk's Local offer: www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/support-for-learning/education-health-and-care-ehc-plans/annual-review-of-an-ehc-plan.
The settings must send the review paperwork through to the LA within two weeks of the review meeting. There are four possible decisions that the LA can make following an annual review:
- Maintain the EHCP with no amendments
- Maintain and amend the EHCP (including a change of educational establishment in Section I)
- Initiate a new EHC needs assessment
- Cease the EHCP
The LA decision arising from an annual review must be made by the LA and communicated in writing within four weeks of the annual review meeting. Any amendments to the plan required must be completed eight weeks after the LA decision.
Further/Relevant Information
Detailed information about annual and transitional reviews is contained in the SEN and Disability Code of Practice 2015 (Chapter 9) and in a set of regulations which specifically apply to annual and transitional reviews, The Special Educational Needs Annual Review Regulations 2014.
Appendix: Named EHCP co's for School Clusters