Help EHCPs and Funding for Neurodiversity
Funding for SEND
As part of the Leeds City Council Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Transformation Programme, the funding for children and young people (CYP) with additional needs is changing. As part of these changes, CYP with Funding For Inclusion (FFI) will be transitioned to having an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) if appropriate. Their Funding For Inclusion will continue until the transition process is complete.
As the transformation programme evolves, please go to SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme for more detailed and up-to-date information as the changes take place.
Each year Leeds City Council receives funding from the government to support and fund educational settings. Some of this money is used for special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision and inclusion. This applies to children and young people who:
- Need extra SEND support in school
- Are a Leeds resident
- Aged between 2 and 25 years
This funding is divided into seven specific bands of need (drop downs).
Support might be needed when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate support in place. See more information here.
These children will need to be identified and assessed by a professional from the Visual Impairment Team (VIT).
These children will need to be identified and assessed by a professional from the Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team (DAHIT).
Evidence will be required from an appropriate professional e.g. physiotherapist or paediatrician.
Support might be needed for children and young people with different speech, language and communication skills.
These needs may show in many different ways including withdrawal and isolation or displays of more challenging behaviours.
Medical needs funding tends to cover a range of conditions which are usually chronic and long term.
SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services
SENDIASS support children and young people with SEND and their families/ carers to get help where needed. They provide free, impartial, and confidential advice and resources on a range of areas, including applying for an EHCP. They have made lots of videos to explain SEND support, which can be found here.
Visit their website.
Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP)
The majority of children and young people with SEND can have their needs met within their local education setting through the existing resources without the need for an Education Health Care Plan. All settings must take every possible action available to identify, assess and meet the child or young person’s needs
However, if the child/ young person needs more support than their local school can provide under the usual SEND processes, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) can be applied for. An EHCP is a legal document for a child or young person aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The EHCP outlines their educational, health and social care needs, the focused SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely) targets and the support required to achieve them. By law, the educational setting named in the plan must follow what is written.
This is a helpful video, from the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) that explains what an EHCP is and who it is for.
In Leeds, the Special Educational Needs Statutory Assessment and Provision (SENSAP) team is responsible for overseeing all EHCPs and assessments. Further information can be found via the SENSAP website. We would also recommend speaking with your school for further information.
The information below is subject to change – see the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme website for up-to-date information and changes.
Either parents/ carers or schools can apply for an EHCP for a child/ young person under the age of 16. Young people 16 years or over can apply for their own assessment, if they wish.
- Parents apply by completing the EHC2 form.
- Schools apply by completing the EHC1 form.
- Young people apply by completing the EHC3 form.
You can download these forms below, ask your child’s school for the forms, or contact SENSAP on sensap@leeds.gov.uk or phone 0113 378 5256.
SENDIASS can help parents complete these forms. They have a lot of helpful information on their website. They also run drop in advice sessions and workshops. See more information here.
The information below is subject to change – see the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme website for up-to-date information and changes.
Assessments take around 20 weeks to complete. They focus on a child’s educational needs and the support that they need to be able to learn.
- Week 1-6 – A specialist panel will meet to discuss your child’s needs and decide if an assessment is needed. Decisions are made based on all the evidence provided, including, academic attainment, details of the child/ young person’s SEND and the impact of any support that has been put into place.
- Week 7-12 – If assessment is agreed then further evidence will be gathered from parents/ carers, schools and any healthcare professionals.
If it is agreed that your child needs an EHCP, the local authority will create a draft plan. A copy of this draft EHCP will be sent to you and you have 15 days to respond, in writing. - By week 16 – if it is agreed that your child needs an EHCP, you have the right to request a meeting to discuss the draft EHCP.
- By week 20 – a final version of the EHCP should be available.
The information below is subject to change – see the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme website for up-to-date information and changes.
EHCPs are reviewed at least every 12 months to make sure that they’re up to date and still needed. For children under 5 years old, reviews are every 6 months, minimum. EHCP reviews are often referred to as ‘annual reviews’.
This is a helpful video, from the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), that explains EHCP annual reviews.
Leeds Local Offer
The Leeds Local Offer provides information for children and young people with SEND and their parents/ carers in a single place. It shows families what they can expect from a range of local agencies including education, health and social care. The Leeds Local Offer is about providing families with information to make informed choices about services they chose to use.
Links for more information
- More information about schools’ responsibilities in relation to disability is available on the gov.uk website: Disability rights: Education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- Information about what kinds of support can be offered is available on the gov.uk website: Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND): Special educational needs support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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