SEND Parent/Carer FAQs
Can I apply for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?
What is the process for doing this?
We would advise that you speak to a SEND Officer before submitting the request for an Education Health and Care Plan.
The SEND Officer will be able to share information about support that is available for your child or young person.
More information on Education Health and Care Plans can be found in the section: What is an Education Health and Care Plan?
Take a look at the Inclusive School Forum and Early Years Inclusion Panel pages on the Local Offer for more information on support that is provided for Early Years settings and Schools.
To speak to a member of the SEND Team you can either email: sendandinclusion@telford.gov.uk and request a call back or telephone 01952 381045.
To find out who the SEND Officer is for your school, take a look at the Locality Working Page: Locality Teams by School.
I have just been informed that the Local Authority is carrying out an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), what can I expect?
This assessment involves a process of gathering information from the relevant people or agencies, including the views, interests and aspirations of the parents and child or young person.
The needs assessment will help to determine whether we need to make additional provision through an EHC Plan.
An EHCNA will not always lead to an EHC Plan. However, it may help to decide how the education setting can meet the child or young person’s needs without an EHC Plan.
It should not take more than 20 weeks from requesting an assessment to a final EHC Plan being issued, a detailed overview of the timeline is aviable to download.
Download: Education Health and Care Needs Assement Timeline
What is a Moving Forward Meeting?
There are three scenarios within the 20 week timeline where you may be invited to a moving forward meeting.
- At week 6 where the Local Authority has not agreed to an Education Health and Care needs assessment.
- Between week 12 and 16 where the Local Authority has said No to issuing an Education Health and Care plan (after the assessment has occurred).
- Between week 12 and 16 where the Local Authority has agreed to issue an Education Health and Care plan.
You will only need to attend a moving forward meeting on one of these occasions, unless the local authority changes a decision.
If the Local Authority does not agree to an EHC assessment or does not issue an EHC plan following an assessment, the Moving Forward Meeting will be an opportunity for you to discuss the decision with your SEND Officer and your child or young person’s education setting. At this meeting the local authority will work with you to agree actions with your child’s setting, this will be recorded in a Moving Forward Agreement, so that you understand the support that will be put in place.
If the local authority does agree to issue an Education Health and Care plan the Moving Forward Meeting will provide an opportunity for you to co-produce your child or young person’s plan. The meeting will be led by the SEND Officer. It will generally be held at the child’s educational setting or virtually on Microsoft Teams. The professionals who were part of the assessment may be in attendance to provide additional advice and support. There will be opportunities for you to ask questions, clarify anything you are not sure about and help shape what is written in the plan.
My child is on a modified timetable, should this happen?
You will need to discuss this with your child/young person’s school or setting if you are unhappy with the amount of hours that your child is accessing. Schools are expected to allow and strongly encourage children and young people to attend. If you have concerns about your child or young person’s access to education please speak to their school in the first instance.
If your child/young person has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and you would like any further advice please contact their SEND Officer.
By email: SENDandInclusion@telford.govuk
Phone: 01952 381045
Where can I find information on support for Mental Health and Wellbeing for my family?
Information on where to find support for mental health for the whole family is available on the Local Offer, the Mental Health Service Directory provides information about all the support services that are available to support families in Telford & Wrekin.
KOOTH is part of the BeeU service in Shropshire, Kooth.com is an online mental health and wellbeing community for young people. Young people across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin can access Kooth for free from age 11-19. Kooth is available in many regions across the UK and we are a pioneer in digital mental health for young people.
Young people have access to self-help materials, peer to peer support and also our Kooth team which consists of emotional wellbeing practitioners and counsellors. As Kooth provides free counselling, the service is BACP accredited and all of our Kooth team members are qualified and highly skilled to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing. The Kooth team is online from 12 noon until 10pm on weekdays and from 6-10pm on a weekend, every single day of the year.
Young people can sign up themselves at Kooth.com and there is no professional referral required, or thresholds/criteria to meet. The service is anonymous and the sign up process is very simple. Kooth is a safe environment where information, advice and guidance is accessible through age appropriate, pre-moderated and clinically approved articles and forums.
To find out more about Kooth Plc, the company that runs Kooth.com, you can find the website here: https://www.koothplc.com/
For children and young people who wish to join Kooth, you can join at https://www.kooth.com/
Samaritans are available to provide support and advice 24 hours a day 365 days a year, you can call free on 116123.
PODs Helpline – Parents Opening Doors (Parent Carer Forum) have a helpline number that you can call for advice and support.