Request an EHC needs assessment

• If your child’s school or setting feels that an EHC Needs Assessment is required, they will discuss this with you and request your permission to complete the application. This will be shared with you.
• The educational setting should make sure all the relevant information is provided to the local authority, by completing an online form to consider their request for EHC needs assessment.
• As part of the request, they will ask you for your contributions which you can make by completing this form.

You can get support from your child’s setting or another professional if needed to complete the form.

• If you feel that your child would benefit from an EHC Needs Assessment, we suggest that in the first instance you talk to your child’s educational setting as they may already be in the process of gathering evidence to support a referral. However, you can still make the request yourself.
• You will need to make your request to your home local authority (where you pay your council tax) even if your child attends a school in a different local authority. If your home local authority is not Warwickshire please go to their website for further information on their process.
• Although there is no format required in law to make a parental request for an education health and care needs assessment, our preferred method is for you to complete this form, as this provides us with all the parental information we need to progress your request efficiently.

Once your request is received the local authority will ask your child or young person’s educational setting (if they have one) to provide details of the support currently in place to help inform the decision on whether an EHC needs assessment is required. We will give the setting two weeks to respond to the request for information to ensure we meet statutory timescales. Please note that if you apply during school holidays, schools are unlikely to respond to our requests, and this may result in a decision having to be made without all the information.

If you would like help or support to complete the form please contact:

• SENDIASS

Warwickshire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) offers free confidential, independent, impartial advice and support to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This service is also offered directly to young people who are aged 16 or over.

• FIS

The Family Information Service (FIS) is an information and signposting service for families. FIS provide a wide range of information and support relating to children and young people aged 0 to 25 including, but not limited to, childcare, money and benefits, housing, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), health and wellbeing. Support can be provided in a variety of ways including accessing information on the webpages, contacting the helpline by telephone or email, meeting the team out in the community and by allocated one-to-one support from a member of the team.

All the above services are available to help families free of charge and provide advice and support. You may also be able to get support from a professional that is currently working with your family.

If you would like the form in an alternative format, please contact SENDAR by emailing sen@warwickshire.gov.uk.

If a professional supporting your child feels that an EHC Needs Assessment is required, they will discuss this with you and request your permission to complete the application. This will be shared with you.

Please refer to the process for an educational setting request as this is the same for a professional request.