Special Educational Needs

(asked on 28th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the process for establishing an Education, Health and Care Plan for SEND children is dependent on a diagnosis.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 6th October 2020

As set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities must assess the need for an education, health and care (EHC) plan where a child or young person has or may have special educational needs, and where it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan. A medical diagnosis of an illness or disability is not required to secure an EHC needs assessment or final EHC plan.

The special educational needs and disabilities Code of Practice sets out that local authorities may develop criteria as guidelines to help them decide when it is necessary to carry out an EHC needs assessment (and following assessment, to decide whether it is necessary to issue an EHC plan). However, local authorities must be prepared to depart from those criteria where there is a compelling reason to do so, in any particular case, and demonstrate their willingness to do so where individual circumstances warrant such a departure. Local authorities must not apply a blanket policy to particular groups of children or young persons or certain types of need, as this would prevent the consideration of a child’s or young person’s needs.

Reticulating Splines