What is an EHC plan review?

• If you have an EHC Plan the law says it must be reviewed at least once a year.
• This involves people writing reports and a meeting, called the Review Meeting.
• At the meeting you and other people who know you well will talk about how things are going at school or college, and home.
• The meeting will usually happen in a room at school or college.
• It gives you a chance to say what’s working well and what could be better or different. The review is important. That’s why it’s good to spend a bit of time preparing for it.

• As well as you, other people will be invited to the review meeting to talk about how they think things are going. These people are likely to be your parent/carer and people who support you in school. That could be the SENDCO, your form tutor or Teaching Assistant. 
• People from outside school who help you will also be asked. This might be a social worker if you have one, or someone who helps with any medical needs such as an occupational therapist or physiotherapist. If you have a CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) worker they’ll be asked too. If you’re not sure who might be asked to the review meeting you can ask your parent/carer or the SENDCO in school.
• Everyone involved in supporting you will be asked to write and share their views ahead of the meeting. Your views are really important so we hope this information will help you feel confident about the review. If you would like support preparing for the review meeting you can contact us.

Your EHC Plan is all about helping you achieve. When your plan was first agreed outcomes were agreed and set out in your plan. Outcomes are specific things you want to do or complete.

Most of the time the things that have been agreed won’t need to change. What’s important is checking you’re making progress.

These are the main things that should be talked about as part of your review. 

• Things that have changed since your last review.
• Any support you get in school and out of school. 
• Changes to what you want to achieve or do. (called the outcomes)
• If things are working well at your school or college .
• Whether any short-term targets need to be set or reviewed. 
• Whether the EHC plan is still needed. 
• Whether you would like to ask for a personal budget. 

Our Going to Meetings page has lots of information on how you can prepare for a review meeting.

Here are just a few suggestions from that page:

• Write out or use a diagram to help you remember what you want to say. 
• Write a list of questions if there are things you need answers to. 
• Write a list of things you think are going well for you and you would like to stay the same. 
• Write a list of things you’d like to change. 
• Make a list of any ideas you have that you’d like the people at the meeting to know. 
• Record a voice note on your phone of any things you want to say or questions you have.
• Draw a diagram or mind map if you find this a good way to organise your thoughts.
• It can be helpful to talk to someone you trust about the meeting. If you are nervous or worried about going to the meeting talking it through might be helpful.  

If you’d like help to prepare for a meeting, we may be able to help you. We can talk to you on the phone, email you, meet you virtually on Zoom or face to face. You can contact us here. 

Sometimes meetings can make you feel nervous or a bit worried because you’re not sure who will be there and what they’ll be talking about. If you feel this way, you’re not alone! By taking a bit of time to prepare we hope you’ll feel more confident to either go to the meeting or share your views for the rest of the people at the meeting to hear.

• This is where you and the people who know or work with you meet to talk about the things in your EHC plan. This meeting can be in a room at school or college or online, using Zoom or Teams. 
• You can be there for the whole meeting or, if you prefer, you can ask to go for a short time. If you’d prefer not to be there, you can ask someone to read out your views instead. You could also voice record or make a video if you don’t want to attend in person. 
• If the meeting is online you can ask not to be on screen if this feels more comfortable. 
• You can find more information about going to meetings.
• If you’d like to go to the meeting but need help to do this, contact us and we’ll see if we can help.

Within 2 weeks of the review meeting, your school or college will send out a report to everyone who went to the meeting. The report will say if any changes are needed to your EHC plan.

Staff from the SEN (Special Education Needs) 0-25 team will look at the recommendations and the report and use these to decide what should happen to your EHC plan. There are three possible decisions they can make. 

• To keep the EHC plan the same (maintain it)
• To make changes to the plan (amend it)
• To end (cease) the plan 

You should be told within 4 weeks of your review meeting if your EHC plan will stay the same, or if they want to change or end it.

EHC plans don’t usually change unless things in your life have changed a lot. This could be a change in your health or if you need additional help from someone like a social worker.

You can comment on any changes to your plan.

Usually, if a plan is changed, you’ll get the final changed copy 12 weeks after your review meeting at the latest.

What if I don’t agree with changes to my plan?

You have the right to disagree with any suggested changes to your plan. If you’re under 16 your parents/carers have the right to disagree on your behalf. They have 15 days to make a written objection. They must explain why they disagree. Your parents/carers can also ask for a meeting with a local authority officer to say why they disagree. If they ask for a meeting this should happen within the 15 days. 

You can also talk to the SENCO at school about the local authority’s decision. If the SENCO doesn’t agree with the changes to your plan they too can also write to the local authority. 

If you’re 16 or older the local authority must tell you directly what they want to change in your plan and why they want to change it. The letter they write will be addressed to you and you need to respond within 15 days. This means you have the right to disagree yourself. You need to tell the local authority if you do not agree with the changes they want to make. You should also tell them why you disagree with them. They must listen to you and carefully consider what you have to say. If you need help doing this you can ask your parents/carers to help you or another trusted adult. You can also contact us. And we’ll do our best to help.

 The word amendment may be used when talking about changes to an EHC plan. Amendment is just another word for change.

An EHC plan will eventually end (cease). This happens when the local authority decides your plan is no longer needed. EHC plans can keep going until you’re 25 – but it’s not automatic to have a plan until you reach this age. Most EHC plans usually end when you reach 16 or 19. This is usually when you start work or finish at school or college.

 These are the main reasons EHC plans end (cease): 

• Your needs have changed and you no longer need the things in the plan to help you.
• If you move to an area outside of Devon. 
• When you become an adult and have finished your education and training described on your EHC plan.
• If you leave education or start a paid job.
• If you start university. You’ll still get help if you need it at university, but it’s arranged for you directly by the university. You can get more information on this at Disabled Students | Advice And Financial Support | UCAS 

If the local authority is thinking about ending your EHC plan, they must tell you and talk to you about it. They must also tell your school, college or other place of education that’s named on the EHC plan. If you’re unhappy with the decision to end the EHC plan, you have the right to say you don’t agree. 

If you disagree with any decision, it’s important to talk to your case coordinator at the SEN 0-25 Team. Your parent/carer may be able to help you do this or you can contact us and we may be able to help.

If you’re still unhappy with the decisions being made about your EHC plan you have the right to something called mediation. This is a way of discussing things with the local authority. A person independent of the local authority can sometimes help you find a way to come to an agreement. You can find out more about mediation here. What is mediation? – Global Mediation – Process to Resolve Disputes

If it’s not possible to come to an agreement using mediation you have the right to an appeal. There is more information about appeals, what they are and how they work here. Appeal an education, health and care (EHC) plan decision: Appeal as a young person – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Things change in the law when you reach the age of 16. It’s at this age you have more say about your education and your parents have less say. Most young people still want their parents/carers support to help them make the best decisions. 

Some practical changes happen when you reach 16. You have the right to appeal any changes to your EHC plan rather than your parents. You can also ask for a meeting with your case coordinator if you disagree with amendments to your plan or for your plan to cease.