Conversion of Statement of
SEN and LDAs to EHC Plans
Process and Action Plan
Introduction:
There are currently 1400 statements of Special Education Needs and
approximately 500 Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs). Milton Keynes
Council is required to ensure that all statements are converted to Education
Health and Care plans (EHCs) no later than April 2018 and if requested,
where young people are staying in training or education, that all LDAs are
converted into EHCs by September 2016. This conversion strategy details
plans to aim at completing all conversions by September 2016.
In order to achieve this there will be four temporary SEN Officers to support
this process between September 2014 and September 2016. This increased
capacity will support settings with the conversions and assist in embedding
the new ways of working throughout the system.
This conversion strategy is being consulted on through the MKC reform
implementation board which includes parent/carer representation.
Principles and Process:
It is proposed that conversions will happen as part of an ‘extended annual
review’ process and therefore will become a ‘transition review’. Children and
young people who are transferring to a new school/provision in the coming
year will be prioritised. The process and extended meeting will follow a person
centred approach in line with the underpinning principles of the reform. The
process for this transition review can be viewed as a flow chart in appendix A.
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School/setting sets date for review meeting and will provide the SEN
team with ‘6 weeks’ notice of a meeting date. (For young people in
Post 16 Provision, Connexions may initiate the meeting and set the
date in liaison with the setting).
The SEN team will send a standard letter to parents, carers or young
people explaining the process, providing at least ‘two weeks’ notice
and asking for a signed consent form to be returned to enable the SEN
team to begin the EHC needs assessment process and contact other
professionals involved. The number of professionals may well be
broader than those that have previously been involved in statement
reviews but care will be taken to ensure no duplicate advice is sought.
The letter makes clear that the parent/carer or young person can meet
with the SEN Officer at any point through the process and the SEN
Officer will follow this up with a phone call to answer any questions.
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The school/setting/Connexions* using the EHC assessment paperwork
will gather parental and child/young person’s contributions and these
will be sent to the SEN team
The school/setting /Connexions* issue invites for the transfer review
meeting.
Once the reports have been received, copies will be sent to the
parents/carers or young person a week in advance of the meeting,
along with the draft EHC plan.
The format of the meeting will be to review the draft EHC plan, taking
particular account of progress/challenges over the last year and then
focusing on the outcomes for the following year and longer term.
Following the meeting the paperwork will be returned to the SEN team,
where any final collation of information will be completed and a
proposed EHC plan sent out within 8 weeks for any
responses/amendments.
* Connexions will fulfil this role for young people who currently have LDA’s
The SEN team will provide direct support through attendance at a number of
the first transition review meetings in each school/setting. The SEN Officer will
agree this with each setting and the team will then provide support as usual
where agreed with the parent /carer or young person or if there are particular
concerns.
It is essential that the process enables a person centred approach, ensuring
that the plan is holistic and that parents and young people are involved as
equal partners and that their voice is central to the process.
Priorities for transferring Statements to EHC plans:
The following cohorts of children, in the following year groups in September
2014 will be priorities for transferring to EHC plans:
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Those in early years
All year 2’s
All year 6’s
All year 9’s
All year 11’s
All year 13’s
33
94
102
128
141
53
Autumn Term
Spring/Summer Term
Autumn Term
Total: 551
The above patterns will be repeated from September 2015 with additional
cohorts added to complete the conversions.
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There are also two distinct cohorts of children and young people, where the
conversion would take place in the first year whether or not they fall into the
above year groups:
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Home educated children: 12
Children in independent provision/private/Other Local Education
Authority provision: 92
Local authorities must also transfer young people from statements where they
are transferring from a mainstream to a special school and vice versa or
where they move onto post 16 provisions. This could include some year 12
students.
It is proposed that we review progress at the end of the autumn term 2014
and consider other cohorts of children and young people in relation to the
progress made.
LDAs to EHC Plans:
The priorities for the conversion of LDAs to statements will be the LDAs that
have been written over the last year, currently 200. In line with the
Department of Education Transitional guidance young people will be asked if
they want to transfer to an EHC plan or continue to receive their support via
an LDA.
Any young person can request to have their statement transferred into an
EHC plan and the SEN team will work with post 16 providers and Connexions
to ensure young people are aware of their rights.
Connexions advisers would be supporting and reviewing these young people
with new LDAs but they would not have previously had annual reviews.
Therefore this process will be built on to enable a transition review meeting as
already outlined.
Advice and Support:
Advice to parents/carers and young people on the conversion process will be
provided through the SEN Team. Independent advice and support is available
via MK SEND IAS or the Pre School Learning Alliance.
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Appendix A: Conversion to Education, Health and Care Plan TimeLine
6 weeks before
review date:
Setting will provide the SEN Officer with Conversion
paperwork –parent views (CEHC 2b), pupil views (CEHC
3), current attainment (CEHC 5) and record/evaluation of
action (CEHC 7).
SEN Officer will write to parents confirming date and
requesting consent.
SEN Officer will request up to date advice from
professionals.
1 week before
review date:
SEN Officer will distribute a draft EHC plan to
parents, setting and professionals.
Review:
Parents and professionals will hold review, discuss and
agree a draft plan.
No later than
2 weeks after
review date:
Setting will provide SEN Officer with review paperwork
advising amendments to EHC plan or agreement of the
draft.
4 weeks after
review date:
SEN Officer will distribute proposed EHC Plan.
6 weeks after
review date:
Within 2 weeks any further comments on the EHC Plan
should be received by the SEN Officer.
8 weeks after
review date:
SEN Officer will issue final EHC plan to all parties.
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