Requesting an assessment

Some children and young people with special educational needs may need more support than a typical mainstream nursery, school, or college can provide. These children may need a statutory education, health and care (EHC) assessment to work out how much help they need and if necessary, record this extra help in a legally binding education, health and care plan (EHCP).

We (Hertfordshire County Council) lead the assessment process and will involve education colleagues, settings, health and other professionals, yourself and your child or young person too.

Thinking of making a request for an EHC assessment?
Who can make a request?
Preparing to make a request
How we decide whether to agree to an EHC assessment
How to make a request for an EHC assessment
If we decide to carry out a statutory EHC assessment
If we decide not to carry out an EHC assessment

Thinking of making a request for an EHC assessment?

Most children and young people with additional needs are supported in their school or college through SEN Support, and without the need for an EHCP. You have the right to request an EHC assessment if you think that they need additional support which cannot be provided by school. For example, your child may need a lot of adult support for most or all of the school day, or a large amount of advice from specialist services, therapies, or special equipment. Or your child may want to go to a special school where facilities and staff offer specialist support.

If you’re concerned that your child or young person isn’t receiving the right level of support at their nursery, school or college, speak to your child’s class or subject teacher, the SENCo, the person responsible for SEND provision at college, the headteacher or principal. They will be able to support or advise, and may assist you with making a request.

If your child or young person doesn't attend an educational setting, you could speak to your health visitor, GP, social worker, or Hertfordshire's SENDIASS.

You could also get in touch with local parent support groups and chat with other parents who have already gone through the process.

Who can make a request?

Parents of children and young people aged 0 - 24

As a parent of a child or young person with SEND, you can make a request for an EHC assessment on their behalf. This includes children aged between 0 - 5 who may not have started attending any early years setting or school.

Young people aged 16 - 25

Young people aged between 16- 25 can make a request for an EHC assessment themselves. However, if your young person struggles to understand, remember or communicate decisions about the educational support they need, then as their parent or carer you can make the request on their behalf.

Children and young people in custody

Children and young people under 19 in youth custodial establishments also have the right to request an EHC assessment. The child’s parent, the young person or professionals working with them can ask the local authority (LA) to conduct an EHC needs assessment while they are still detained.

Early years settings, schools or colleges

Early years practitioners, school or college staff can also request an EHC assessment on behalf of a child or young person. Ideally this should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the parent of the child or young person and/or the young person.

Carers and professionals

Additionally, foster carers and health and social care professionals can bring a child or young person who has (or may have) SEND to our (Hertfordshire County Council's) attention, particularly if they think an EHC assessment may be necessary. This also should be done ideally with the knowledge and agreement of the parent of the child or young person and/or the young person.

Preparing to make a request

Before making a request for an EHC assessment, you should prepare by considering your child or young person's goals and barriers to learning.

It's useful to gather reports or evidence about:

specific difficulties, even if they have no formal diagnoses yet
how these difficulties impact on your child or young person's learning and development
things that have already been tried successfully or that have not had the desired impact.

The decision to carry out an EHC assessment- or not to- can only be taken based on the information that’s provided, so it’s worth getting support on this.

How we decide whether to agree to an EHC assessment

We look at evidence that shows that despite the early years provider, school or college having taken action to support the needs of the child or young person with SEND, that they still have not made the expected progress.

We'll consider:

evidence of the child or young person’s academic attainment (or developmental milestones in younger children) and rate of progress.
Information about the child or young person’s SEND, including physical, emotional and social development and health needs, drawing on evidence from health professionals.
Evidence of the action already being taken by the educational setting to meet the child or young person’s SEND.
Evidence that where progress has been made, it has only been as the result of additional intervention and support over and above what is usually provided.
Where a young person is aged over 18 we'll consider whether they'll need extra time (in comparison to others of the same age who do not have SEND) to complete their education or training.

How to make a request for an EHC assessment

You can make a request however you wish, however, we provide a standard form which helps our officers to handle information efficiently.

You can download a form and return to the SEND team at the email address shown at the bottom of the form. The should fill in the relevant form based on the age your child is when you start the application.

Request an EHC assessment for ages 0 - 15 (Word doc 61kb)

Request an EHC assessment for a young person aged 16+ (Word doc 59kb)

You need to send the completed forms by email to:

Ehcneedsassessment@hertfordshire.gov.uk

This email address is monitored by the SEND front door and assessment team for the whole county. This email address should be used for new requests for statutory assessment, and communications relating to the first 20 weeks of a child’s EHC assessment process.

EHC assessment forms - accessible PDFs

If you need a form you can use and fill in with a screenreader, you can use these PDFS:

EHC assessment request form (723kb) Opening a new window

EHC assessment request form for young people (Aged 16 - 25) (PDF 795kb) Opening a new window

If we decide to carry out a statutory EHC assessment

Once we've received your request an EHC Coordinator will be allocated to your case and will contact you to explain the process. At this point, we'll establish how you can be best kept informed and supported to take part as fully as possible in the decision-making process.

You can ask your EHC Coordinator for additional support if you require help such as translated documents or because you may have additional needs.

If the request has been made by anyone other than the parent or young person (i.e. by a teacher or health practitioner) then we'll let the child’s parent or young person know so that they have enough time to provide their views also.

We'll make a decision whether or not to carry out an EHC assessment and communicate that decision within 6 weeks of receiving the request.

If we decide not to carry out an EHC assessment

We'll give our reasons for not agreeing to an EHC assessment, and let you know that you can request a meeting with your EHC Corordinator to discuss.

We'll provide feedback collected during the process (including evidence from professionals) that the parent, young person, early years provider, school or college might find useful.

Even if your request for an EHC assessment has been turned down, special educational support should be available to you through your school or educational setting. Children and young people without an EHCP will continue to receive SEN support in their mainstream nursery, school or college.

If we decide not to carry out an EHC assessment, you have the right to appeal within 2 months of that decision. We'll give you information and guidance on how to appeal and services to contact for support.

You can read more about mediation and tribunals.

Page was last updated on: 17/11/2023 11:10:10

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