Annual Review of Education Health Care Plans

In order to maintain the effective person-centred approach that the Transfer meetings have achieved, the Local Authority (LA) has amended its Annual Review Process. The process has been streamlined and additional documents kept to a minimum. The LA wishes to ensure that Educational Health and Care Plans remain pertinent, relevant and up to date. Settings, schools and colleges are required to follow guidance and any requests for changes to the plan should be made on the Annual Review Report and not made on the Plan itself. See guidance below.

Updated Annual Review form

KCC have been working alongside a number of education settings, like yourself, to redesign and streamline the Annual Review Form.

The new Annual Review form went live on Friday 1 September 2023.

We have made these changes to reduce the amount of time it takes you to complete these forms, while ensuring you can still supply the same information as the old version.

The review work included initial engagement sessions, feedback workshops and feedback forms. The support and input received from schools and colleges has played a crucial role in shaping this new form. We have also reviewed the requirements of the Children and Families Act 2014, the Code of Practice and examples of best practice from other Local Authorities around the country.

We are pleased to inform you that this revised document aims to simplify the process, making it easier and more efficient for you to complete. At the same time, the document ensures all the relevant information and views are still captured.

Based on feedback, duplication within the form has been removed. Therefore, the new form is now condensed from 16 pages to 7 pages (for Early Years to Year 8) and 9 pages (for Year 9 and above). Additionally, we have been able to set the information out in a logical format which aligns with the EHC Plan. This will also help us complete our tasks in a more efficient way, which will be of further benefit to the children and families of Kent.

To access the new Annual Review Form, please use the following links:

Please send the completed Annual Review form by email to sendadmin-annualreviews@kent.gov.uk.

Please continue to submit any supporting evidence alongside the form.

This new Annual Review form is part of an ongoing review, and any feedback is appreciated. If you have any comments about the new Annual Review form, please complete the following online feedback form

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Reassessment

Following an Annual Review, there may be a need to have a statutory reassessment of the child’s or young person’s needs. This would be if a child’s or young person’s (who is aged over 16 to 25) educational or health needs, or situation changes significantly.

This means having a new EHC needs assessment.

The Local Authority may carry out a reassessment if the parent/carer or young person, or the education setting request one, as long as:

It has been more than six months since the last EHC needs assessment was completed
The LA decide or agree a further EHC needs assessment is required

The LA may however carry out a reassessment at any time it thinks it is necessary.

When the LA receives a request for a reassessment, they must inform parent(s)/carer(s) or the young person whether they will reassess or not within 15 calendar days. If the LA decides not to re-assess, the parent(s)/carer(s) or young person aged over 16 have the right to appeal that decision and to go to mediation or tribunal.

The process for a reassessment is the same as an EHC needs assessment. The law states that a reassessment must take no more than 14 weeks from when the decision is made to re-assess, to when a final EHC plan is issued.

Information Sharing

Documentation and guidance for Annual Review.

Feedback

If you have any feedback you would like to give or have any queries about this page then please do visit our we want to hear from you page to find relevant contact details.