What is an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

Louise Petty

June 22, 2026

5 min read

Every child deserves the support they need to succeed in education and reach their full potential. While many children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can be supported through a school’s existing SEND provision, some may require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). In this article we’ll explain what an EHCP is, who is eligible for an EHCP, how to apply, what happens during an assessment and what a good EHCP should include.

person writing with pen and paper in classroom

What is an EHCP and Who is Eligible?

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document issued by a Local Authority (LA) for children and young people aged up to 25. They are intended for those who have special educational needs or disabilities that require support beyond what is normally available through a school’s SEND provision.

An EHCP brings together information from education, health and social care professionals to create a coordinated plan that supports the child or young person. The plan sets out:

The child’s strengths, aspirations and views.
Their identified special educational needs.
The outcomes they are working towards.
The provision required to meet those needs.
The educational placement that will deliver the support.

Having a diagnosis does not automatically mean a child will receive an EHCP. Instead, the Local Authority will consider whether the child has significant and long-term needs that require special educational provision beyond what a mainstream school would ordinarily provide.

For parents, an EHCP can provide reassurance that support is clearly identified and legally enforceable. For schools, it provides a framework for delivering appropriate support and monitoring progress.

Why EHCPs Matter for Safeguarding

Children with SEND can face additional safeguarding vulnerabilities and may experience communication difficulties, social isolation, barriers to reporting concerns or increased dependency on adults. As a result, schools must ensure that safeguarding arrangements take account of these individual needs and vulnerabilities.

Current UK safeguarding guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and Working Together to Safeguard Children, emphasises the importance of understanding each child’s individual circumstances and ensuring that safeguarding responses are adapted where necessary. Therefore, staff must know which pupils have EHCPs so that they can understand the child’s needs (including communication needs, emotional wellbeing, medical requirements and support arrangements), recognise potential indicators of harm and respond appropriately to concerns.

student and teacher smiling together in classroom

How to Apply for an EHCP

If a child is not making expected progress, despite receiving SEND support, it may be appropriate to request an Education, Health and Care Needs assessment. Applications can be made by a parent or carer, the child’s school or educational setting or a young person aged 16 to 25, on their own behalf.

In most cases, schools and parents work together before an application is submitted. Applications are usually supported by clear evidence showing the child’s needs, the support already provided and the impact that support has had. A successful application often depends on effective collaboration between families and education professionals.

Parents can contribute by:

Sharing their child’s strengths, challenges and day-to-day experiences.
Providing reports from medical professionals or therapists.
Explaining how needs affect family life and learning outside school.

Teachers and SENCos can contribute by:

Gathering evidence of the child’s progress and attainment.
Recording interventions and support already provided.
Demonstrating how needs affect learning, attendance, behaviour or wellbeing.
Coordinating input from relevant professionals.

The EHCP Assessment

An Education, Health and Care Needs assessment is a formal investigation carried out by the Local Authority. The purpose of the assessment is to determine whether the child or young person requires an EHCP and, if so, what support should be included within it.

The EHCP assessment will look at the child’s needs across education, health and social care and considers how those needs affect their ability to learn, develop and participate in everyday life.

When the Local Authority receives a request for an EHCP assessment, they will decide within 6 weeks whether the assessment will take place or not. Then, professionals are required to gather advice and evidence and a decision will be made about whether an EHCP should be issued. If a draft EHCP is produced, the parents and/or young person can comment on it and request a preferred educational placement. The final EHCP is normally issued within 20 weeks of the original request.

To make an informed decision about whether an EHCP is required, the Local Authority gathers information from a range of professionals and people who know the child well. This multi-agency approach helps ensure that the assessment provides a complete picture of the child’s needs and the support required. Depending on the child’s circumstances, advice may be sought from:

Parents or carers.
The child or young person themselves.
Teachers and the SENCo.
Educational psychologists.
Health professionals, such as paediatricians, speech and language therapists or occupational therapists.
Social care professionals.
Any other relevant specialist involved with the child.

EHCP Examples: What Does a Good EHCP Look Like?

A well-written EHCP should clearly describe the child’s needs and specify exactly what support must be provided. It should be easy to understand, person-centred and focused on outcomes that help the child make progress and participate fully in education and daily life.

A standard EHCP contains a number of sections:

Section A – Views, Interests and Aspirations
- This section captures the child or young person’s voice, along with the views of their family.
Section B – Special Educational Needs
- This details all identified special educational needs.
Section C – Health Needs
- This outlines any health needs related to the child’s SEND.
Section D – Social Care Needs
- This records social care needs linked to the child’s SEND.
Section E – Outcomes
- This sets out the outcomes the child or young person is expected to achieve.
Section F – Special Educational Provision
- This specifies the educational support that must be provided to meet the needs identified in Section B.
Section G – Health Provision
- This describes health services required to support the child.
Section H – Social Care Provision
- This outlines social care services and support.
Section I – Placement
- This names the school, college or educational setting.
Section J – Personal Budget
- This details any agreed personal budget arrangements.
Section K – Advice and Information
- This contains the professional reports and evidence used to create the EHCP.

Understanding the Difference Between a Need and a Provision

One of the most important aspects of an EHCP is the distinction between a need and a provision:

A need describes the difficulty or challenge experienced by the child. For example: The child has significant difficulties understanding spoken language.
A provision describes the support required to address that need. For example: The child will receive a weekly speech and language therapy programme delivered by trained staff and monitored by a speech and language therapist.

A common weakness in EHCPs is when needs are identified but the corresponding provision is unclear or insufficiently detailed. Educational provisions must be specific and quantified wherever possible, as vague statements can lead to uncertainty about what support should actually be delivered. Specific provisions make expectations clear for schools, parents and professionals.

For example, wording such as ‘Access to adult support as required’ may be difficult to monitor or enforce, so a stronger provision would state ‘The pupil will receive 15 hours per week of targeted adult support delivered by a trained teaching assistant under the direction of the SENCo.’

An EHCP can be a vital tool for ensuring children and young people with significant SEND receive the support they need. By working together, parents and professionals can help ensure that plans accurately reflect a child’s needs and provide meaningful, measurable support that help children achieve positive outcomes, both in school and beyond.