Timeline for the Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process

The Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process starts the moment your local authority (Surrey County Council) receives the request to carry out an EHC needs assessment.

It ends when your local authority:

  • decides not to carry out an EHC needs assessment; or
  • carries out an EHC needs assessment, but decides not to issue an EHC plan; or
  • issues a finalised EHC plan.

The EHC needs process from start to finish should take no more than 20 weeks. You can find a detailed timeline of what happens at each stage of the EHC needs assessment process below:

Request made

By six weeks: the Local Authority (Surrey County Council) decides whether to assess.

By 16 weeks: the Local Authority finish the assessment and decide if a plan is needed.

Weeks 16 to 20: the Local Authority send a draft plan. The parent/ carer or the young person has 15 days to comment and to request a setting.

By week 20: the Local Authority must complete all stages and send the final EHC plan where agreed.

You can also download this timeline in PDF format:

EHC needs assessment process video

Educational Psychology Reach Out have produced a video explaining the process for parents and carers.

EHC needs assessment timeline

Week zero to six: make a decision

The local authority (Surrey County Council) is asked to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. This request usually comes from either the child/young person's educational setting, the parent/carer, the young person if he/she is over 16 or any other professional.

The LA's Learners' Single Point of Access (L-SPA) team receives the request and the L-SPA officer will contact you. The L-SPA officer will ask for information from you, the school or setting, as well as any other professionals working with your child. You will be asked for your written consent to share information with relevant professionals. The L-SPA officer will let you know within six weeks whether the local authority has agreed to start an EHC assessment or not.

If the LA has decided to proceed with the assessment, you will be allocated a SEND Case Officer and he/she will be in touch with you to agree a provisional date for a co-production meeting.

You will be given information on how to access Surrey's Local Offer. The Local Offer is the support and facilities available in your area for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

If the LA decides not to undertake an EHC assessment, the L-SPA officer will discuss this with you and offer a Way Forward meeting.

If you make a request, the LA will ask professionals to provide preliminary information within two weeks.

Week seven to 12: seek advice

If the LA agrees to undertake the EHC assessment, your SEND Case Officer will seek written advice from you and your child/young person. The educational setting will be asked for updated information since the initial request.

Advice will also be requested from:

  • Educational Psychologist
  • Paediatrician/GP
  • Social Worker (if applicable)
  • Other professionals involved with your child, for example, a Speech and Language Therapist or a CAMHS professional.

Replies must be received within six weeks of the request for advice.

Week 13 to 16: advice gathering and decision to issue an EHC Plan

The SEND Case Officer collects all of the advice to present to the multi-agency EHCP Governance Board. The board will consider all of the information gathered and recommend whether the LA should decide to issue an EHC plan or not.

By week 16 the LA will inform you in writing that, either:

  • The LA has decided not to issue an EHC plan. If this is the case, your child's educational setting will provide SEN support, and you are invited to a Way Forward meeting with your SEND Case Officer to discuss the next steps. You have the right to appeal this decision. Mediation is available; or
  • The LA decides to issue a statutory EHC plan and the SEND Case Officer will send you an initial draft of the proposed plan.

If there is an EHC Plan co-production meeting this will take place, and this is an opportunity for all parties to further develop the EHC plan.

Week 17 to 20: consult and finalise

Week 17 to 19

You have 15 calendar days to consider the proposed EHC plan and also to request a particular school or education setting.

Once you agree to the draft plan, your SEND Case Officer will consult with a school or education setting to seek their views on meeting the special educational needs as outlined within the draft EHC plan.

The school or setting has 15 days to respond.

Week 20

By week 20 the LA will send you the final EHC plan and the support for your child is put in place. You will be asked for feedback about the EHCP process.

Next steps

Within 15 days of the EHC plan being issued, the SENCO will work with you to prepare a plan setting out short term targets for the next 12 months.

The EHC plan will be reviewed annually by the school or education setting.

Where to receive support and advice during the process

If at any time you need impartial advice and support, you can contact SEND Advice Surrey (SAS) on:

You may also like to refer to our Help for families and young people during the EHC plan process web page which provides the details of further services who can assist.