Annual EHCP reviews

Before the annual review

Planning your reviews

It is important that all plans are reviewed annually so that they stay up to date and relevant. Scheduling in reviews can be time consuming and difficult especialy if you have a number of children with EHCPs in your school or setting. You should meet termly with your EHCP officer to discuss plans that are due to be reviewed in the following half term and start to plan your pre-review actions. You will always need to work at least one half term in advance with your EHCP officer to give youself time to carry out the work that needs to be done prior to the meeting.

Musts from the SEND Code of Practice before an EHCP review

• The child’s parents or young person, a representative of the school or other institution attended, your EHCP Officer, a health service representative and a local authority social care representative must be invited and given at least two weeks’ notice of the date of the meeting.
• Other individuals relevant to the review should also be invited, including youth offending teams and job coaches where relevant.
• The school (or, for children and young people attending another institution, the local authority) must seek advice and information about the child or young person prior to the meeting from all parties invited, and send any advice and information gathered to all those invited at least two weeks before the meeting.

Who should attend a review meeting?

The number of children and young people with EHCPs in Derby means that it isn't always going to be possible for an EHCP Officer to attend a review meeting.

You can use the below guide to help you to prioritise your reviews for officer and professional attendance.

 Visit our section on phase transfer reviews for more information about planning for these reviews

Carrying out the review meeting

1. The meeting must focus on the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan, and on what changes might need to be made to the support that is provided to help them achieve those outcomes, or whether changes are needed to the outcomes themselves.
2. Children, parents and young people should be supported to engage fully in the review meeting.
3. All reviews should have a focus on independence. Reviews taking place from Year 9 at the latest and onwards must include a focus on preparing for adulthood, including employment, independent living and participation in society. This transition planning must be built into the EHC plan and where relevant should include effective planning for young people moving from children’s to adult care and health services.
4. It is particularly important in these reviews to seek and to record the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person. The review meeting organiser should invite representatives of post-16 institutions to these review meetings, particularly where the child or young person has expressed a desire to attend a particular institution.
5. Review meetings taking place in Year 9 should have a particular focus on considering options and choices for the next phase of education.

We've co-produced a guide to writing outcomes for age groups focussed on independence and preparing for adulthood.

After the review meeting

You must prepare and send a report of the meeting to everyone invited within two weeks of the meeting. The report must set out recommendations on any amendments required to the EHC plan, and should refer to any difference between the school or other institution’s recommendations and those of others attending the meeting.

Within four weeks of the review meeting, the local authority must decide whether it proposes to keep the EHC plan as it is, amend the plan, or cease to maintain the plan, and notify the child’s parent or the young person and the school or other institution attended:

• If the plan needs to be amended, we should start the process of amendment without delay. 
• If we decide not to amend the plan or decide to cease to maintain it, we must notify the child’s parent or the young person of their right to appeal that decision and the time limits for doing so, of the requirements for them to consider mediation should they wish to appeal, and the availability of information, advice and support and disagreement resolution services

A plan will not need to be amended every year. If only minor amendments are suggested the local authority might decide not to amend it but we will explain that at the time. We will always update a plan if new outcomes or provision are needed.