If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), it should be regularly reviewed by the local authority. In Worcestershire your child’s school, educational setting or early years provider are responsible for arranging and facilitating the Annual Review. If your child is over 5 then it should be at least once a year, and if they are aged 0 to 5 then the plan should be reviewed more frequently, every 3 to 6 months. When your young person is in Year 9 and above, the reviews must include a focus on preparing for adulthood (we’ve included more information about this below).

EHCP’s are living documents, which should be used to actively monitor your child or young person’s progress towards their outcomes and long-term aspirations, which is why they should be regularly reviewed. You can request an Annual Review at any time, as long as you have good reason, such as you believe that there is an urgent need for a change to the plan.

An Annual Review is an opportunity to provide any updated medical advice or a new diagnosis. It’s important to remember that the only people who know which medical professionals are involved with your child or young person, are you and your child or young person. Other agencies are not routinely told about any new diagnosis or medical advice.

Annual reviews:

• must be undertaken in partnership with you, their parent, and your child or young person and
• must take account of their views, wishes and feelings, including their right to request a personal budget.
• must be focused on your child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes in their EHCP, as well as considering whether the outcomes and any targets are still appropriate

Annual reviews should also:

• gather and assess information so that it can be used by your child or young person’s early years settings, schools or colleges to support their progress and their access to teaching and learning.
• review the special educational provision made for your child or young person to make sure it is being effective in ensuring access to teaching and learning and good progress.
• review the health and social care provision made for your child or young person and its effectiveness in ensuring good progress towards outcomes.
• consider the continuing appropriateness of the EHC plan in the light of your child or young person’s progress during the previous year or changed circumstances and whether changes are required including any changes to outcomes, enhanced provision, change of educational establishment or whether the EHC plan should be discontinued.
• set new interim targets for the coming year and where appropriate, agree new outcomes.
• review any interim targets set by the early years provider, school or college or other education provider

Timings

• the first Annual Review of your child or young person’s EHCP must be held within 12 months of the date of when the EHCP was issued, and then within 12 months of any previous review
• the local authority’s decision following the review meeting must be notified to you, the child’s parent, or young person within four weeks of the review meeting

Additional information

The Annual Review process is covered in the Code of Practice: Reviewing an EHC plan 9.166
SEND Code of Practice January 2015.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk).

You can also find useful information about What is an Annual Review? on the Council for Disabled website, where they have an Annual Review Factsheet PDF, an Annual Review timetable PDF and also information about Annual Review - Person centred planning meetings PDF.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Special Education Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) also have an Annual Review of an Education Health and Care Plan Factsheet (PDF).

IPSEA also have information: The annual review process | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice.