There are many excellent examples of independent, non-maintained and maintained schools and colleges in the UK, but searching for the ‘best fit’ for a child or young person with a range of needs is a time-consuming and sometimes daunting task.
Of central importance in this search is the Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, setting out the special educational needs of a child or young person, and the evidence contained within it.
As a legally binding document the EHC plan details the provision a local authority must put in place for your child and it is key to gaining the necessary funding. Expert, professional assessments and reports – detailing what an individual will require in order to reach their potential – give schools and colleges the all-important information enabling them to decide whether or not they are the right match.
Insufficient or inaccurate evidence in an EHC plan can lead to confusion about actual needs, lack of funding from the Local Authority, not enough support for the child or young person and, ultimately, placement breakdown.
In addition, in order to achieve a successful result, the plan has to be written in terms of the specific and quantifiable provision which the child ‘must receive’, rather than simply what they ‘would benefit from’. For example, this might be a specified number of hours per week of one-to-one support from a speech and language specialist.
