SEND - Local offer

The SEND Code of Practice states that every Education Health and Care plan (EHCP) must be reviewed annually. In most cases the review will be arranged by the school or setting. An exception to this may be if your child or young person is educated at home (Electively Home Educated), in this case the review will be arranged by the local authority.

Early Annual Reviews may be scheduled for various reasons, these can be requested by parents, carers, young person, school or setting. If as a parent or carer you feel that an early Annual Reviews is needed, please speak to your child or young persons education setting.

A few of the reasons that an early Annual Review may be held are:

1. Updated advice has been received that makes a significant difference to provision.
2. There is a request to increase high needs funding.

A change of placement is being requested.

Parent Carer Views

Parent and Carers are encouraged to share their views before or during the meeting, schools and settings will provide a template for parent carers and family carers to complete.

Parent Carers and Family Carers can request support from SEND IASS (Information Advice and Support Service) to prepare for Annual Reviews.

SEND IASS

Child or Young Persons Views

The local authority encourages families, schools and settings to encourage children and young people to attend their Annual Review. This may be for the whole meeting or part of the meeting, as appropriate. Children and young people can share their views in an imaginative or creative way, think about their one page profile. Children and young people’s views should include their short- and long-term aspirations. From year 9 and upwards, consider what their career path may look like and how they are preparing for adulthood.

Annual Review Workshop for Young People (SOS Group & IASS)

Who is involved in the Annual Review?

Most importantly, parents, carers the child or young person should have the opportunity to attend the Annual Review.

Generally, the School SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) will run or chair the meeting.

From School other professionals may be:

• Class Teacher
• Headteacher,
• TA (Teaching Assistant) 
• Key Worker

Anyone who works with your child or young person may come to the meeting.

SEND Support Services

A Local Authority SEND Officer or Coordinator will try to attend Annual Reviews, the review is able to go ahead if they are not available. Attendance is prioritised for Annual Reviews that are discussing major changes to Education Health and Care plans, if specific advice is required, a change of placement is being discussed or an increase in funding is being requested.

Other Education services who may attend include, Educational Psychology, Learning Support Advisory Teachers, Portage (for Early Years children), the Sensory Inclusion Service (Teacher of the Deaf or Teacher of the Visually Impaired), Early Years Advisory Teachers, and/or Behaviour Support Advisory Teacher. This list is not exhaustive and might include any services that have been supporting the child or young person.

Health Services

The term health is used broadly. Health professionals will likely need to complete a review assessment, write it up and discuss with Child or Young Person, Parent and Carer before the Annual Review meeting.

Who from health may be asked to attend or be part of an Annual Review?

Any professional who contributed to the current Education Health and Care plan, particularly if they set outcomes or have provision written into the EHCP.

Any professional the Child or Young Person is receiving support from (related to SEND)  – think about Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapists, Physio, Paediatricians, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses, Learning Disability Nurses, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Wheelchair Services, Orthotics, Specialist Doctors, GPs and many more…..!

Care Services

A Social Care professional will be asked to attend if they have involvement with the family, or they may complete or review advice before the meeting. Social Care professionals could include the Social Worker allocated to the family, the Early Help practitioner, Strengthening Families, a Family Solutions worker or Children with Disabilities Case Worker.

What is a ‘Live’ Annual Review?

During the Annual Review, ‘live’ changes will be made to you child or young persons Education Health and Care plan. These changes will be based on the updated advice and/or reports that have been shared for the meeting. Discussions will take place about the changes and the plan should be displayed on a screen.

An overview of what the changes will look like are detailed below:

• Strikethrough – suggested text to be deleted e.g. Strikethrough
• Italics – suggested text to be added e.g. Italics   
• Cross out – Cross out any non text based information to be deleted

An example is shown below:

Don’t forget: From Year 9 and upwards an additional section is included to record information on preparing for adulthood, this will include careers advice from Future Focus.

When will and Education Health and Care plan be amended?

Plans will be amended when there is a significant change to the child or young persons details, special educational needs, outcomes or provision.

Other areas to update plans are key transition points, to support move from nursery to school, between key stages and secondary school to post 16

• Reception
• Year 2
• Year 5
• Year 10

Any changes will need to be evidenced by professional reports, these can be provided by any professionals working with a child or young person. Such as:

• Class Teacher
• Internal Assessments
• Educational Psychologist
• Learning Support Advisory Teacher
• Behaviour Support Advisory Teacher
• Health professional, such as; Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist
• Social Worker, Social Care Professional

Top Tip: The local authority recommends that changes are made to plans during Year 5 and Year 10, to support transition in Year 6 and Year 11.

Top Tip: In the Year 11 Annual Review there will be a Post 16 Advisor present, they could be from Future Focus or the schools Careers Advisor.

Preparing for Adulthood

Preparing for Adulthood will be considered in all Annual Reviews and reflected in the Outcomes. However, from Year 9 onwards there will be much more focus on:

Preparing for Adulthood will be considered in all Annual Reviews and reflected in the Outcomes. However, from Year 9 onwards there will be much more focus on:

• vocational aspirations
• prospective post 16 placements
• independence skills – travel, personal care, organisation, money etc.
• transition arrangements and how this might look to make the transition to post 16 as smooth as possible
• the type of support that might be needed post 16 – mentor/key person, meet and greet, quiet space, time out.

Your Views Matter

Please don’t forget to share your feedback flowing an Annual Review. Feedback we receive from children, young people and their families is vital for us to continue to improve and develop services and provision in Telford & Wrekin.

Please remember to fill in your feedback form after the Annual Review Meeting!

Feedback form