Management Information Sheet

Education Health & Care Plan Annual Review meetings and paperwork

MI Sheet TypeInformation
MI Number:136/19
Publication Date:13/09/2019 12:00:00
LA Contact:marianne.knights@norfolk.gov.uk or esther.pike@norfolk.gov.uk (07785 338070 or 01553 669202)
Audience:Headteachers and SENCOs

Education Health & Care Plan Annual Review meetings and paperwork

As part of the SEND Transformation Project we have appointed additional Reviewing Officers to support EHCP Coordinators with reviewing EHC plans and now have 13 (12 FTE) Reviewing Officers across the county.

Due to competing priorities since the implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014, we acknowledge that we have not been actioning EHCP review paperwork in a timely manner. However, over the summer the SEND Teams have been working at logging the backlog of annual reviews ready to work alongside you to ensure that moving forward we are all meeting our statutory deadlines as well as the needs of our children and young people with Education Health and Care plans.

What we expect education providers to do

  • Hold the EHCP review meeting within 12 months of the last Review Meeting or the date of the most recent final EHCP (6 months for children under the age of 5)
  • Invite parents and all professionals at least 2 weeks before the meeting. Circulate the draft Annual Review document and any advice received since the last Review/last EHCP issued.
  • Complete the Annual Review paperwork fully including a signature from the headteacher or designate (please note we do not need a signature from parent)
  • Email into the LA senopsupport@norfolk.gov.uk no later than 2 weeks from the date of the meeting

What the LA will do

  • Allocate a Reviewing Officer to your school who you can liaise directly with (your EHCP Coordinator will be able to let you know who this is and their contact details)
  • Inform schools which annual reviews should be held each term
  • Simplify the EHCP review paperwork template. A new form is currently being tested and will be available on the Local Offer soon. We would be grateful for your feedback on the new form when it is published as we intend to review it at the end of the autumn term. This is due to the development of a new Preparing for Adult Life Service and the Annual Review document will need to include relevant information and the referral process.
  • Liaise with schools when paperwork is not fully completed
  • Log annual review paperwork and write to parents within 2 weeks of receiving the paperwork to inform them whether we are going to maintain, amend or cease the EHCP
  • If amending the EHCP, we will do this within 8 weeks.

For further information and current EHCP review meeting forms, please see the Norfolk Local Offer https://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

Relevant legislation: Section 44 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and Regulations 2, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the SEND Regulations 2014. / SENCOP 9.166- 9.210