What is an EHCP and how do I get one?
Here are five resources to explore regarding getting an EHCP for your child.
1) What is an EHCP?
The British Dyslexia Association is a good place to start with getting information about supporting your child if dyslexia is proving to be such a barrier to education that their school simply doesn't have the resources to support.
The Education Health and Care Plan replaces the former 'Statement' system and is implemented by the Local Authority.
Click on the BDA logo below to find out more about what an EHCP is.
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| Click here for information on EHCP's |
2) Information from the UK Government.
Funding for EHCP's ultimately comes from the UK Government and so it makes sense to view their guidelines on the support system available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.Click the UK Government logo below to check out their information.
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| Click here for information on SEND for Parents and Carers. |
3) Direct Information On 'The Local Offer'
Want to know what your local authority is doing to support SEND in schools? This resource website will get you in touch with the right organisations that can help you.
Click on the logo below to search for EHCP resources.
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| Click here to search for resources in your area. |
4) Bright Futures Consultancy
If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford a third party service to get your EHCP in place then it is worth getting in touch with some to have an initial discussion on how likely you are to secure an EHCP for your child. It is a complicated process and having a specialist to support you may be useful. I am highlighting Bright Futures Consultancy as an example of a lower cost third-party organisation that can help. I don't have a commercial link with them and I am unable to attest to their effectiveness, but they do have some nice resources that could help you and speaking with CEO Rebecca could be useful to you.
Have you used this organisation before? Let me know what you think about them?
Click on the logo below to find out more about Bright Futures.
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| Click here to find out more. |
5) Hire a solicitor.
There is no easy way to say this. Solicitors cost a lot of money and there are many solicitor organisations that specialise in getting EHCPs in place.
I have heard of some of these organisations costing literally £100K to secure an EHCP that puts a child into specialist provision. I do NOT recommend speaking to organisations who, for me, seem to be charging the earth and taking advantage of parents who care so deeply for their kids.
That said, if you are looking for your child to enter into a specialist school which is likely to be expensive then I know an organisation who the British Dyslexia Association have worked with (the organisation I have in mind took part in a Parent's Information Day at the recent BDA International Conference). This organisation can secure funding for high-quality educational support for a fraction of the cost of the funds applied for. My understanding is that they are good at what they do and could be the right solution for you if you want your child being educated in a school who have all the resources that your child needs to deliver positive educational outcomes.
Again, even if it is not your intention to hire a solicitor, I recommend speaking to this organisation who are happy to have an initial telephone call with you about your circumstances and they will signpost you to a more appropriate resource if they are not a good fit.
The company is called HCB Solicitors and I recommend speaking to Laura Carr. Click on the logo below to get her contact details.
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| Click here to contact Laura Carr at HCB |
Again please let me clarify that I do not have a financial interest in mentioning HCB but I have worked with them speaking at various conferences and am confident to mention them to you.
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