Annual EHC reviews

By law, Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans must be reviewed every year.

This has to happen at least:

• once every 12 months - children aged 5+
• once every 6 months - children under 5

The purpose of an annual review is to consider the progress made by a child or young person towards achieving the outcomes set out in their EHC plan.

Then to decide whether the needs, aspirations, support and outcomes in the plan need to change in any way.

The annual review process takes eight weeks to complete and includes and annual review meeting.

Person Centred Annual Reviews   

A person centred review is exactly that – it puts your child at the very heart of the discussion, has information available to all and enables everyone to contribute equally.

The review must include your child, people they want there and key people that have to be there.  

The meetings are facilitated by someone who shares and records the information. The facilitator will guide everyone through the review and ensure it is person centred.

Person centred reviews provide an opportunity to gather information about:   

• what is important to your child now and in the future 
• what support your child person needs 
• what is working and what is not working in their life.

During the review, an action plan is developed based on person centred outcomes. 

For further information, please download the attached booklets and annual review templates:  

• Person Centred Annual Reviews – A Guide for Parents / Carers & Children & Young People
• Person Centred Planning Approach to Annual Reviews – A Guide for Educational Settings
• How to share your views for Annual Review

Schools preparing to carry out an annual review can download the annual review forms needed.

This video explains more about what an annual review is and why it is important.

In preparation for the annual review meeting, there are a number of things that should happen.

The annual review meeting should put you and your family at the centre. It must fully involve you and your child and consider your views, wishes and feelings, especially when making decisions. The meeting is usually organised by your child’s school, nursery or college.

The meeting will:

• celebrate achievements and positive progress
• focus on progress towards achieving outcomes
• establish if current outcomes are still appropriate and agree new ones if needed
• check that special educational provision and arrangements are still appropriate and enabling good progress
• review any health and social care provision and check its effectiveness towards achieving the outcomes
• check if the child/young person’s aspirations have changed
• focus on preparing for adulthood strengths, needs and outcomes. This is compulsory from Year 9
• check if you would like to request a personal budget

If proposed changes to the EHC plan are discussed, the meeting host should note these directly into a Word version of the plan on a shared screen that everyone can see. 

Within two weeks of the meeting taking place, the host must prepare and circulate a report with any recommendations, proposed changes to the EHC plan and notes of any differences of opinion.

It is then up to the council’s SEND team to decide if the plan should:

• remain unchanged
• change
• stop, as it is no longer required

This decision happens within four weeks of the meeting.

What happens if the plan is to change or stop

If the decision is to change or stop an EHC plan, we must contact you with information including your right to appeal and where you can get advice and support.

If the plan is to change the plan, we will also:

• send you a copy of the proposed amended EHC plan
• provide the supporting evidence for the proposed changes

You will have 15 calendar days to respond with your views. You will also be invited to meet with your SEND caseworker to talk about the proposed changes.

Next steps

The council must then either:

• issue an amended EHC plan
• decide not to amend the plan and give you the reasons why

This must happen within eight weeks of the date we informed you of the proposed changes.

You can formally appeal to the First-tier Tribunal if you disagree with a decision taken by the council. This is sometimes referred to as the SEND tribunal.

Before you can do this, you may need to have considered mediation as a way of resolving the issue first.

The GOV.UK website has more information on the tribunal and making an appeal.

When a child with an EHC plan moves between key stages of education it is called a ‘phased transfer’.

This is a process which begins in:

• the last year of nursery or pre-school
• Year 2 - ready for moving to junior school
• Year 5 - ready for moving to secondary school

In these years there is a ‘phased transfer review’ which includes a ‘transfer review meeting’. This ensures all the necessary preparations are made for the transition. The review involves:

• naming your child’s new school
• making sure the new school is ready, and that the plan is in place as soon as your child starts
• reviewing your child’s EHC plan to see if it needs to be updated in any way

A school must be ‘named’, or the type of school, on your child’s EHC plan by 15 February before they transfer in September of the following year.

Placements for young people aged 16 and over

If your child has an EHC plan and is moving from school to a college or placement, such as an apprenticeship, there must be a ‘phased transfer review’.

This review happens in the same year that your child transfers - by 31 March.

By this date any proposed changes to the EHC plan should be made, and the name of the college or placement included in the plan.

If your child is moving between colleges or placements, a review should preferably happen no later than the autumn term.

We can then consult providers with a view to naming a suitable placement by 31 March.

From Year 9 onwards, annual reviews should be treated as preparing for adulthood.

These reviews should include consideration of things like:

• further education
• future employment
• independent living 
• inclusion in their community and society

It is important that young people with SEND are supported to have ambition, to think about a broad range of opportunities and to be as independent as possible.

To help your child plan for the future, you may want to consider some of the things that are important to them.

The annual review should identify the support needed to reach these aspirations and the support they may need to participate fully in this planning, and in making decisions.