Implementing the EHC plan

An EHC plan is a legally binding document. Once it has been agreed upon, it is important to ensure that it is implemented effectively in order to meet the specified needs and outcomes.

We will have informed the setting that your child has an EHC plan, and they would be expected to review it thoroughly so that they fully understand your child’s needs and the specific support required.

The setting will make sure that the staff members that teach your child know about their special educational needs.

During implementation, settings should establish a system for regularly tracking your child’s progress against the EHC plan outcomes. This can include regular assessments, observations, and feedback from teachers and parents.

Parents should be encouraged to be actively involved in any decision-making processes and feedback from parents should be used to continuously improve the support being provided.

If you have concerns

If you feel that your child’s EHC plan is not being implemented correctly or your child’s needs are not being met, don’t hesitate to raise your concerns with the school.

Speak to your school’s SENDCo to discuss your concerns. If necessary, request a meeting to outline where you think things are not working and try to agree on potential solutions.

If you need impartial advice and support, you can contact DiAS.

If your child moves school

Your child may need to transfer to another school, either because you change address or because your child is moving to the next phase of their education.

If your child needs to transfer to another school, please contact the SEND Statutory Team (formerly known as the 0-25 Team) as soon as possible as any transfer to another school legally requires a consultation with the new setting.

If your child needs to move to another school because they are due to transfer to the next phase of their education, the SEND Statutory Team will write to you the September before they are due to transfer to explain the process.

If you have any queries about a change of school for your child, please contact your case officer.

You may want to get independent advice or support from DiAS.

Education, health and care (EHC) plans

Step 1
If you feel that your child is not making progress, you might be considering requesting an EHC needs assessment - but, the quickest way to get some extra support for your child is to speak to staff at their school, college or education setting. We'd always recommend having these conversations before proceeding with a request for assessment.
Step 2
Follow our guidance on how to make a request, who should be involved in making the request and what happens once you have submitted it. We must give you a decision about whether or not we'll carry out an assessment within six weeks of your request.
Step 3
Find out more about what happens if we agree to carry out an assessment. We must tell you whether or not we will issue an EHC plan within 16 weeks of your request.
Step 4
The Local Authority will create a draft EHC plan and send you a copy. You will have 15 calendar days to give your suggested amendments and views before a final plan is issued. We must issue a final EHC plan within 20 weeks of your original request.
Step 5
Over time, your child’s needs may change. We will review their EHC plan each year as a minimum to ensure it continues to meet their needs.
Step 6
Find out more about what will happen if you need to transfer an EHC plan into or out of Devon.
1. Transferring an EHC plan

If you have concerns

If your child moves school

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Get in touch

Partner websites

DiAS (Devon Information Advice and Support)

Support for schools and settings

Children and Family Health Devon

Parent Carer Forum Devon