EHC annual reviews
The annual review is the statutory process of looking at the needs, provision and outcomes specified in an EHC plan, and deciding whether these need to change.
The Council must complete the first review of your child’s EHC plan within 12 months of the EHC plan being finalised.
Subsequent reviews must be completed within 12 months of the previous review.
The annual review process
The following steps must take place in an annual review:
- Your Council must consult with you (and with the school or institution being attended if there is one) about the EHC plan, and take account of your views, wishes and feelings.
- An annual review meeting must take place to discuss the EHC plan.
- Information must be gathered from you as well as from professionals about the EHC plan, and then circulated two weeks before the meeting.
- After the meeting a report of what happened must be written and sent to everyone who went to the meeting or provided information to be discussed.
- After the meeting the Council reviews the EHC plan.
- The Council must notify you of its decision within four weeks of the meeting.
All of these steps – not just the meeting – must be followed in order for an annual review to be completed.
If there is a problem
If the process is not followed, then you can take action.
IPSEA have produced guidance and a useful template which can be used to write to the Council to raise your concerns.
IPSEA Template Letter: Letter to LA when it has not completed an annual review →
Downloads
We have pulled together relevant downloads for this topic below:
LEAFLET: Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan – What are they? Who needs one? What do they include?
[PDF, 8 pages]
LEAFLET: Annual Reviews of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
[PDF, 10 pages]
Further help and support
You may also find the following websites useful:
Bromley Council – Annual Review →
Bromley Council – EHCP Annual Review Improvement Project – Frequently Asked Questions →
IPSEA – Annual review checklist →