Get advice and support about education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments and plans

Find out about the advice and support you can get if you have concerns relating to an EHC needs assessment or plan.

Speak to our SEN Team

You should speak to our SEN Team or your SEN senior case worker if you have questions or concerns about:

your EHC needs assessment
your EHC plan
decisions that have been made about your case.

Get independent impartial advice

You can get free, independent impartial advice and information and support from:

our special education needs and disability information, advice and support service (SENDIASS) on 020 3319 2163.
the independent supporter in SENDIASS
Contact a Family.

How to resolve a disagreement

If you can't resolve a disagreement about an EHC needs assessment, EHC plan or decisions made about SEN provision, or health and social care, you can speak to the KIDS Disagreement and Mediation service – our independent resolution service – on 03330 062 835 (option 2).

You can only use the service with the agreement of all parties involved.

Mediation and appeals to Tribunal

Mediation

Parents or young people can access mediation after they get a final EHC plan or amended plan, or if we decide:

not to carry out an EHC needs assessment
not to draw up an EHC plan
not to amend an EHC plan
to end an ECH plan.

The mediation arrangements are specifically linked to decisions about EHC needs assessment and EHC plans.

Tribunal

If you decide to appeal to the tribunal, you must contact the mediation service at KIDS on 03330 062 835 (option 2) first.

If you decide not to use mediation, they will give you with a certificate within three working days confirming that you do not want to go to mediation.

This certificate allows the parent or young person to lodge their appeal to tribunal either within two months of our original decision about their care, or within one month of receiving the certificate (whichever is later).