The Joint Criteria for Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs has been replaced by Eligibility Criteria for EHC Needs Assessment. It reflects the changes in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years from statutory assessments of special educational needs to EHC Needs Assessments.
One of the aims of an EHC Needs Assessment is to support the local authority in making a decision about “whether it is necessary for it to make provision in accordance with an EHC plan”. This means that a child or young person requires special educational provision to be made that is additional and different to the educational provision made for children of a similar age. The SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years states:
“A local authority must conduct an assessment of education, health and care needs when it considers that it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person in accordance with an EHC plan” (paragraph 9.3).
The guidance is made up of the following sections:
- Responsibilities of education providers
- Who can request an EHC Needs Assessment?
- Process of requesting an EHC Needs Assessment
- How decisions are made in Haringey
- Evidence required from education providers
- Reference materials
- Flowchart to show EHC Needs Assessment process
There are also new templates for education providers, parents and students (aged 16 and over) to guide them in making a request for an EHC Needs Assessment. They have been revised to reflect the eligibility criteria and work done in settings to identify and meet special educational needs. They focus on summarising the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycles and an analysis of this work.
The SEN team can give you further information:SEN@haringey.gov.uk