A request for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHCNA) can be made by the parents or carers of a child aged 0-25 years, the young person themselves if they are over 16 or a school or educational institution.
It is beneficial if there have been ongoing discussions between home and school prior to an EHCNA referral being made. This ensures that there is a clear understanding of a child or young person's current needs and what provision, approaches and interventions has been tried.
How Do I Apply for an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA)?
Parent/Carer
If you are a parent/carer requesting an assessment for your child, then you will need to complete the following forms.
- Parent/Carer Request for EHC Needs Assessment
- Parent/Carer EHC Needs Assessment Consent Form
- Medical/Health Questionnaire
- Care Needs Questionnaire
You may also wish to provide a copy of any supporting professional reports with your request.
We strongly recommend that you speak to your child’s school or college (where applicable) before submitting your application.
Young Person (16-25 years old)
Once you've turned 16, you are legally entitled to apply for an EHCP needs assessment for yourself. You can do this:
- On your own following our guidance
- With help from a friend or family member
- With help from someone who helps you, such as a teacher, personal assistant or care worker
If you are a young person submitting your own request for an assessment, then you will need to complete the following forms.
- Young Person Request for EHC Needs Assessment
- Young Person EHC Needs Assessment Consent Form
- Medical/Health Questionnaire
- Care Needs Questionnaire
You may also wish to provide a copy of any supporting professional reports with your request.
Educational Setting
To make sure that a request for an EHC needs assessment contains sufficient information for the panel to make an informed decision, all requests should include the following:
- School Setting Request for EHC Needs Assessment (Part 1a)
- Section A - All About Me (Part 2)
- Graduated Approach Assess Plan Do Review Template (Part 3)
- Costed Provision Map Template (Part 4)
- Medical Health Questionnaire (Part 5)
- Care Needs Questionnaire (Part 6)
- Copies of all relevant advice, reports and assessments from specialist professionals from education, health and/or social care, including most recent Educational Psychologist report, if applicable
Supporting Documents
Help and Support
If you need to discuss your submission or have any queries, please contact the Dudley SEND Team on 01384 814360.
Alternatively, support is available from Dudley Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS).
Where Do I Send My Application?
Once you have completed your application, please email the paperwork to senteam@dudley.gov.uk
If you don't have the facility to print the forms and scan the paperwork to us, you can request paper copies of the documents to be sent to your home address and then you can complete these and post to:
SEN Team
Cable Plaza
Waterfront West
Brierley Hill
DY5 1LW
What Happens Next?
The requests and attachments will be sent through to the Dudley SEND team securely. A panel will decide, based on the information provided in the request, whether a statutory assessment should be undertaken. If the statutory assessment does go ahead, the child/young person and family will be assigned a SEND Case Officer who will coordinate the assessment process and provide advice to support the family during this assessment period.