What is an Education, Health and Care Plan? (EHCP)

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document written by the Local Authority (LA) with information gathered from professional reports for children and young people (YP) aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through typical SEN Support. EHCPs identify and describe the child or young person’s educational, health and social care needs, the additional support required to meet those needs and the outcomes desired. An EHCP can only be provided once an EHC needs assessment has taken place.

The SEND Code of Practice says:

The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood.       (9.2)