Education, Health and Care Plans and Other SEN Support

What is SEN support?

Every child with special educational needs should have SEN support. This means help that is additional to or different from the support generally given to other children of the same age. 

The purpose of SEN support is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school. Schools should involve parents in this process. 

Every school must publish an SEN information report about the SEN provision the school makes. You can find this on the school’s website. You can also ask your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator for information on the SEN provision made by the school.

Information about funding for SEN support can be found in the IAS Manchester Information Resource: Funding for SEN Support in Mainstream Schools.

SEN support can take many forms, including:

• a special learning programme for your child
• extra help from a teacher or a learning support assistant 
• making or changing materials and equipment
• working with your child in a small group
• observing your child in class or at break and keeping records 
• helping your child to take part in the class activities
• making sure your child has understood things by encouraging them to ask questions and to try something they find difficult
• helping other children work with your child, or play with them at break time
• supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, getting around school safely, toileting or dressing.

The SEND Code of Practice says:

All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:

• achieve their best
• become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and 
• make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training

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This information is about Education, Health and Care needs assessment, which is sometimes called statutory assessment. It covers:

• children in early years settings 
• children of school age.
• young people aged 16-25

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This information is about what you can do if your child has special educational needs (SEN) or a disability and you are unhappy about the help they are getting.

IAS Manchester can:

• listen to your concerns
• help you sort out the issues
• identify other people who can support you
• help you decide what to do next
• explain the law and your rights.

The SEND Code of Practice says:

Decisions about provision for children and young people with SEN or disabilities should be made jointly by providers, parents, and children and young people themselves, taking a person-centred approach, with the views of children, young people and parents taken into account when those decisions are made.
(Section 11.1)

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Most disagreements can be sorted out by talking with the school, college, local authority, or Clinical Commissioning Group. Sometimes it can be difficult to reach agreement and IAS Manchester can help by providing impartial information, advice and support. Where issues can still not be resolved, disagreement resolution or mediation services may be needed. 

In line with the SEND Code of Practice, local authorities and health commissioners must make disagreement resolution and mediation services available to parents and young people up to the age of 25. These services must be independent of the Local Authority and are free and confidential.

In Manchester, the Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group have a number of approved providers to deliver these services.

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What is an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan?

An EHC plan describes your child’s special educational needs (SEN) and the help they will get to meet them. An EHC plan also includes any health and care provision that is needed. It is a legal document written by the local authority and is used for children and young people with high support needs.

EHC plans replaced Statements of Special Educational Need and Section 139 Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA) on 1 September 2014.

EHC plans are for children and young people who need a high level of support. The plans can start from a child’s birth and continue into further education and training.

The SEND Code of Practice says:

The purpose of an EHC plan is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood. 
(Section 9.1)

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In this section we are compiling the most frequently asked questions. If you have a question which is not listed, please contact Information Advice and Support. 

To view all the frequently Asked Questions please click here.

The Statutory Assessment team at Manchester City Council deals with requests for statutory assessments received from educational provisions, parents/carers and other outside agencies. It also provides the following services:

• manages and co-ordinates the SEN statutory assessment procedures;
• produces and maintains EHC plans;
• co-ordinates the placement of children with EHC plans;
• monitors and supports Annual Review Meetings for children with EHC plans or identified and agreed Special Educational Needs;
• provides advice to educational provisions, parents/carers on statutory assessment and EHC procedures;
• represents the local authority (LA) at Disagreement Resolution meetings and SEN and Disability Tribunal hearings;
• works closely with Children's Services and Health on placements of children in out of city educational provisions; and
• chairs and services the SEN Panel, which determines requests for statutory assessment and decides the level of additional funding to be allocated to individual pupils with a new EHC plan who are placed in mainstream educational provisions.

Venue address

Education Health and Care Team
Children and Families Directorate
PO Box 532
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2LA

Who to Contact

Statutory Assessment Team
Tel: 0161 245 7439
Fax: 0161 274 7084
sen@manchester.gov.uk