The majority of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities can have their needs met within a mainstream setting without additional resources.

A small minority of children and young people do have more complex needs where additional resources are required. For these children, an education, health and care assessment can be requested. Following this assessment, some children and young people will be issued with an EHCP.

An EHCP is a document which details the education, health and social care needs of a child or young person for whom extra support is needed. This extra support takes place in their early years setting or school, beyond which the school or setting can provide.

Children and young people with an EHCP will have outside agencies involved in their support such as educational psychologists, local authority SEND support services, and health services. They are usually entitled to extra resources in their current school or setting, or they may require their needs to be met in a specialist provision such as a resource base or special school.

An EHCP can provide support from birth up to the age of 25 to support with further education, training and support in the workplace. 

Not all children and young people require support for this length of time. The appropriateness of the plan should be reviewed annually with the child/young person, their family, the current school or setting, and relevant SEND support services.