How to apply for an EHCP as a parent
An education, health and care plan (EHCP) is a plan for getting your child specific help in nursery, school or college if the existing support is not enough.
The education provider usually starts the process of getting an EHCP. But as a parent, you can apply directly to the local authority yourself. It’s most common for this to be at the point of you applying for a new education setting, such as your child starting nursery or school.
The first step is to ask the local authority to assess your child’s needs. For the assessment, you’ll need to provide as much evidence as you can of your child’s needs.
The local authority will then decide whether an EHCP is needed.
On this page, find out more about the process of asking your local authority for an EHC needs assessment and how to get an EHCP.
On this page:
- Talking to your child’s education provider
- How do I get an EHCP for my child?
- Requesting an EHCP assessment
- Can the local authority refuse to give my child an EHCP?
Talking to your child’s education provider
If you feel that your child needs more support than they are receiving from their education provider (school, nursery or college), the first step is to speak to the provider.
It is easier to apply for an EHCP if the education provider is supporting you to do this.
You should speak with your child’s teachers and/or the SENCo to begin with.
If they do not agree that your child needs an EHCP assessment, you could try writing to the school’s headteacher or governors.
If the school doesn’t support your EHCP application, you can still go ahead with applying directly to the local authority yourself.
How do I get an EHCP for my child?
The process of getting an EHCP starts with asking your local authority to assess your child’s needs.
You, as a parent or carer for your child, can ask your local authority yourself.
Other people can also ask the local authority, including:
- Education professionals (such as teachers, SENCos).
- Healthcare professionals (such as doctors, health visitors).
- The young person themselves (if aged 16-25).
- Anyone else who is involved with the young person and cares about their needs.
How long does getting an EHCP take?
From beginning to end, the processing of getting an EHCP shouldn’t take more than 20 weeks.
Your local authority has 20 weeks from the date it receives the request for the EHC needs assessment, to the day it gives you the final EHCP.
EHCP timeline
- You request an assessment: You, or someone else involved in your child’s care, writes to the local authority to ask for an EHC needs assessment. (Find out more about how to request an assessment.) When the local authority receives the request, this “starts the clock” of the EHCP process.
- The local authority decides whether to assess: They must tell you within six weeks whether or not they will assess your child’s needs. If they decide not to offer an assessment, you can appeal this decision within two months.
- The local authority carries out its assessment: The local authority requests evidence and carries out its EHC needs assessment. This should take another six weeks.
- The local authority decides whether to issue an EHCP: This should happen within 16 weeks of step 1 (when you requested an EHCP assessment).
- The EHCP is drafted: If an EHCP is needed, the local authority should present you with a draft EHCP within two weeks of their decision to issue one.
- The parents respond: You will have 15 days to reply to the draft EHCP with your comments, changes and name of your child’s chosen school or education provider.
- The school responds: The local authority will consult the chosen school/education provider, who must respond within 15 days.
- The final EHCP is issued: This must happen within 20 weeks of step 1 (when you requested an EHCP assessment).
This is what should happen. But many families find that this is not the case. It can take a lot of determination over a longer period of time to achieve the right outcome for your child.
When the local authority sends you the final plan, it must also send you a letter informing you of your right to mediation and appeal.
Read more about challenging decisions, appeals and tribunals.
Requesting an EHCP assessment
When you ask for an EHCP, you don’t need to be certain that your child needs one. You can ask for an EHCP assessment if you believe your child:
- Has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and
- Needs more support than their school, college or nursery can offer.
The assessment process will help the local authority decide whether an EHCP is needed.
You don’t need the support of your child’s school to apply for an EHCP. You also don’t need to have an educational psychologist report or a medical diagnosis.
Any reports or evidence you do have of your child’s needs will be useful.
Some local authorities provide a form for you to fill out to request an EHC needs assessment. For others, you will have to write a letter.
Example letter
Here’s a template for a letter you can send to your local authority.
Add the information needed inside the square brackets [ ] to personalise the letter. You can see a completed example here.
Save this letter template as a Word document.
[Your address and contact details]
[Address of your Director of Children’s Services in your local authority (You can find the names and addresses for England here. You can use either postal or email address or both)]
REQUEST FOR EDUCATION HEALTH & CARE ASSESSMENT
Dear Director,
My child, [full name] born [date of birth], has special educational needs identified in their current [school or setting]. I would like to ask for an assessment of their Education, Health and Care needs.
[Include details of diagnosis, if you have them such as vision impairment, hearing impairment, CHARGE syndrome, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, global development delay. Try to include detail such as vision impairment measurements, hearing measurements, type of cerebral palsy, developmental scores from assessments etc. if you have them]
Examples
My child has CHARGE syndrome. They have colobomas, are registered as severely sight impaired and have a profound hearing loss.
My child is registered as sight impaired and has cerebral palsy, affecting their arms and legs and uses a wheelchair.
[Add letters/assessments from professionals with this document]
My child is achieving the following levels at their current age. [Include information from the school/setting here about how your child is doing compared to other children of similar age. It can show how your child needs help to learn.]
Example
My child is achieving at the level of a 2-year-old child as shown by the nursery, but is now 4 years old.
I would like to request an assessment of needs for an EHC plan so that my child can have appropriate support in their education, in addition to the support the [school or setting] can provide. This might include:
- Equipment
[add anything you think will help, like a radio aid for hearing impairment, braille technology, specialist seating, etc]
Examples
My child could benefit from a radio aid in the classroom to link their hearing aids to the direct voice of the teacher.
My child needs a specialist chair for nursery to enable them to access play equipment.
- Specialist support
[add anything you think will help, like a qualified teacher of MSI children, or a mobility and habilitation specialist]
Example
My child needs a specialist teacher of hearing impaired children to visit in school and to train staff so that they can learn with other children
- School support
[add anything you think will help, like support in the classroom, intervenor, etc. Explain why you believe the child needs more than school can provide now]
Examples
My child needs one to one help for communication because they use signs, pictures, and a communication device.
My child needs support to join in with activities like painting and play because they cannot handle things unaided)
- Specialist activities and interventions
[add anything you think will help, such as particular teaching activities for communication, literacy etc. Be as specific as you can and use what the school or other professionals have suggested]
Example
My child needs a daily vision programme to help develop their vision in a darkened room
[Add one of the following sentences if you can:
My child is unable to make their own comments about this assessment request because they are very young or do not have sufficient communication skills.
OR My child has said they would like to have the following provision in school; or has recognised they need specialist help by saying:
(include your child’s views here).]
Examples
They would like to be able to play with their friends in the playground but can’t get out.
They can’t hear what the teacher says when it’s noisy.
This evidence shows that my child does have special educational needs and that specialist provision is required. This is in line with section 36 (8) of the Children and Families Act 2014 and meets both the requirements for Needs Assessment, firstly that my child has special educational needs and secondly that they need specialist provision.
This request requires a reply within six weeks and if this is refused, then we can appeal to a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (First Tier Tribunal).
Yours faithfully
[Your name]
Here’s an example of a completed letter:
John Smith
1 Example Street
AB12 3CD
Director of Children’s Services
Forest Authority
ABC 1234
Dear Mr N Example
My child, Alfie Smith, date of birth 31.12.2026, has special educational needs identified in their current school, and I as their parent would like to ask for an assessment of their Education, Health and Care needs.
The needs identified by the school are:
Visual impairment, hearing impairment and cerebral palsy all diagnosed by a paediatrician. Please see the letters from the hospital attached.
Specifically, my child has vision of 6/24 which means that he can only see things four times closer than other children, he has a 40dB sensorineural hearing impairment and wears hearing aids and has cerebral palsy in his lower body which makes walking much harder for him and he is unstable.
My child is achieving the following levels at their current age of 5 years 4 months –
Literacy 3 years 6 months
Numeracy 4 years 0 months
Overall development estimated by school at 4 years. This means that they are showing overall delay which I think is caused by their vision and hearing impairments.
I would like to request an assessment for a plan so that my child can have appropriate support in their education, in addition to the support the school can provide. This might include:
- Equipment: a radio aid to ensure that he can hear the teacher; a video magnifier to enlarge print; a walker for the playground
- Specialist support: visits from a qualified teacher of MSI to ensure he has access to all that is going on in class and training from a specialist teacher about the help he needs.
- School support: additional teacher assistant help with making materials large enough for him to see, specific teacher assistant help with safety on the playground, and help with checking and supporting his work
- Specialist activities and interventions; supported help in the classroom to review and preview concepts so that he can see them and hear them when class sessions are taught, school literacy interventions supported by one-to-one assistant, hearing aid checks and a listening programme carried out daily.
Alfie has said that he can’t see what is on the board and he can’t hear the teacher and that this makes him sad.
This evidence shows that I believe my child does have special educational needs and that specialist provision is required. This is in line with section 36 (8) of the Children and Families Act 2014 and meets both requirements for a needs assessment. This request requires a reply within six weeks and if this is refused, then we can appeal to a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (First Tier Tribunal).
Yours faithfully
John Smith
What evidence is needed for an EHCP assessment?
If the local authority decides to carry out an assessment, you may be asked for:
- Any reports from your child’s school, nursery or childminder.
- Doctors’ assessments of your child.
- A letter from you about your child’s needs.
- Any reports from professionals you engage with such as social workers, play workers, charities or therapists
Can the local authority refuse to do an assessment?
Yes, the local authority can refuse if they don’t think your child needs an education, health and care needs assessment.
It may feel that there is not enough evidence that your child’s difficulties are severe enough.
Or it may decide that a mainstream education setting can provide all the support your child needs.
If the local authority refuses your child an education, health and care needs assessment, you can appeal this decision.
Find out more about how to make an appeal.
Can the local authority refuse to give my child an EHCP?
Yes, an education, health and care needs assessment does not always lead to a child or young person receiving an EHCP.
For example, the local authority might decide that the child’s or young person’s needs can be met by the school in other ways.
If the local authority is not going to give your child an EHCP, it must write to you within 16 weeks to tell you this.
You will have the right to appeal and the local authority must give you information about this.
Find out more about appeals and tribunals.
Find out more about EHCPs
Our information and advice can help you understand what EHCPs are and whether your child needs one.
This content was last reviewed in January 2025. We’ll review it again in 2027.