Working Together – Torbay SEND – 20 week process

Within the first 6 weeks of receiving a request for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment, evidence included in the request for each child/young person is presented to the Education, Health and Care Needs Management Board (EHCNMB), multi-agency panel, who make recommendations to assist the LA in making a decision on whether or not it is necessary to continue to undertake a full EHC needs assessment.

By week 6 after receiving a request for an EHC needs assessment, the allocated SEND Officer contacts the parent/carer, by email or phone, to either:

• inform them if the decision is not to undertake and EHC needs assessment
• or gain the parent/carer and child/young people’s views and aspirations, if the decision is that the EHC needs assessment will be going ahead.

Between weeks 6 and 11 the Torbay SEND are collecting all of the information necessary to make an assessment of need. Health will need to provide us with information about your child/young person’s level of need. You may be offered an appointment from a health colleague, this is very important for our assessment so we need you to attend. Children’s Services will also need to provide us with information about your child/young person’s level of need. If you are not known to a social worker or social work team then you will be offered an assessment via a phone call. If appendices are more than 2 weeks late the SEND team will phone you to let you know which professionals have responded to SEND by sending Appendices (their assessment of your child/young person’s needs).

From week 11 onwards after having received all of the relevant information from other professionals the SEND Officer will create an Education, Health and Care needs assessment overview, prior to presenting it to the Education, Health and Care Needs Management Board (EHCNMB), multi-agency panel, who make recommendations to assist the LA in making a final decision on whether or not an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) will be issued.

By week 16 after receiving the request for an EHC needs assessment, parents/carers and young people will either be sent:

• an EHC needs assessment outcome and be invited to a “Next Steps” meeting, if the decision is not to issue an EHCP
• or the draft EHCP, if the decision is that an EHCP will be issued. This is to give parents/carers the chance to read it and respond with any changes they wish to be made. Parents/carers or the young person also get the opportunity to name the nursery/school or college of their preference alongside making any comments in relation to the draft EHCP.

Between weeks 17 and 19 the SEND team are in consultation with the nursery/school or college.

By week 20 after receiving the request for an EHC needs assessment, the EHCP is finalised naming the agreed provision (nursery/school or college).