EHC plan reviews: information for young people

An Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan is a document that describes your special educational, health and social care needs. It explains the help you will be given by your school, college or sixth form to support you to do your best. You can find further information about this on this IPSEA fact sheet for young people.

If you have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, you should have an Annual Review every year.

We have created this page to help you understand what an Annual Review is, why they are important and how you can be involved in yours.

What is an annual review?

An annual review is:

  • A way to ask your and others' views on the support you need.
  • A way of seeing what's changed and what further help you might need.

This all gets recorded in your EHC plan.

Find out more about what an annual review is:

Year 9 transition review

In year 9, if you have an Education, Health and Care Plan you will have something called a Transition Review Meeting. This is a way to start planning for adulthood, what you might like to do and what help you might need.

You can find out more about this: Transition Review Meeting in Year 9

Who helps with the annual review?

A teacher or other person that supports you should help you to prepare to share your views for the review meeting.

How will you be told about a review?

Six weeks before the review, you or your parents/carer will hear that the date is due and be invited to it. Others who support you at school/college or elsewhere may also be invited.

How to prepare for the review?

Before the review meeting, you will be asked to give your views and so might your parents/carers and those supporting you.

Top tip:

You can say if something will make the review more comfortable or easier for you. For instance, sometimes people prefer meetings to be online or at a certain time of day.

It's important to share your views!

This helps those around you make sure you get the right support. There are many ways you can do this, for example you could record yourself, draw pictures or ask someone to write down what you want to share. The Council for Disabled Children's How to share your views for your annual review document may be helpful to look at.

Some examples of things you might be asked to share are:

  • What do people like about you?
  • Who are the important people in your life?
  • What is important TO you – now and in the future?
  • What is important FOR you – now and in the future?
  • What is working well? And not so well in your life now?
  • What support and help do you need?

Answering these questions isn't easy!

The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) has information that can help. These might also help you to share your views:

The information from you and those helping you must be shared at least 2 weeks before you meet, with you and everyone who is invited to the meeting.

Before the meeting you can think about questions you want to ask or things you want to share at the meeting. You might want to make a list to take the meeting to remind you what you wanted to say or ask.

If you want someone to attend the meeting don't forget to let the organiser know and make sure they are invited.

The review meeting

At the meeting there will be a host, who will ask questions and make notes on what is said. Some of what will be discussed may be about the views you provided.

Top tip:

Remember the meeting is about you! Feel comfortable to say what's working well or not so well and to share your views, wishes, feelings and hopes.

After the review meeting

After the meeting the organiser will send the review form and the information from you and everyone who provided information, to Surrey County Council who are responsible for the EHC Plan. They must decide whether to keep the plan as it is, make changes to the plan, or stop the plan (this is known as ceasing the plan). They must do this within four weeks of the review meeting.

What if changes are needed?

If Surrey County Council decides to make changes to the plan, it must send you a draft amended plan. You then have 15 days to give your views on the proposed changes. If you want a change of education or training provider, you can express your preference at this point.

Surrey County Council then has a further eight weeks to finalise the plan.

Can an EHC plan stop?

An EHC plan will stop when:

  • the level of support you need means that your school or college can offer as part of their usual support to all children and young people with Additional Needs and Disabilities.
  • you go to higher education such as university
  • you get a job (Including jobs with training but not apprenticeships)
  • you are over 18 and you say you no longer want an EHC plan
  • you are aged 25 (or until the end of the academic year in which you turn 25 if you need to finish a course or apprenticeship)

If Surrey County Council want to stop the plan, they will let you know and you will have a chance to say what you think of this.

Know your rights:

If you disagree with the local authority's decision at the final step of the review and it has not been possible to find a solution to this, you have a right to go to mediation and/ or appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal.

The LA's decision is the end of the review process.

Who can help during the review process?

Your family and those who support you can help you during the review process. You may also want an advocate, who is someone who can help young people communicate their views and ensure you they are always involved in decisions about them.