Annual Review of an Education, Health and Care Plan. Guidance notes for the completion of the Annual Review forms

Transcription

1 Annual Review of an Education, Health and Care Plan Guidance notes for the completion of the Annual Review forms Background information EHC plans should be used to actively monitor children and young people s progress towards their outcomes and longer term aspirations. They must be reviewed by the local authority as a minimum every 12 months. Reviews must focus on the child or young person s progress toward achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan. The review must also consider whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate. (SEN CoP (2014) 9.166) The review of an EHC plan and the progress that a child or young person has made towards their outcomes and longer term aspirations is the focus of the current plan in place. The EHC plan must be a working document that acts as an encompassing guide for how a child or young person will continue to work towards their outcomes and aspirations over the coming year. The meetings should look to review the current situation, but also they are planning meetings as well, looking to the future, setting outcomes, planning for adulthood etc. The Preparation Review documents AR1 to AR4 AR1 is for the child s views. This should be completed and circulated at least 10 days before the meeting with the AR2 and AR4 The views of the CYP can be completed however is most appropriate for the child. This document is designed to capture the views, wishes and feelings of the CYP. If you have used a different child centred form, scribe the views on the AR1 and include the form as additional evidence The document must be completed as fully as possible, ensuring the information is accurate; this would include checking information such as a parent s address and other contact details. The AR2 is family or carers views, wishes and feelings. This should be completed and submitted at least 10 days before the review meeting with the AR1 and AR4. Parents and carers can be supported to complete this form in any way that is most appropriate. If another recording method is used, or if the form is scribed, this should be documented and additional papers should be submitted as evidence. The contribution of a child or young person s parent is an important part of the review process. The education institution should ensure it listens to these opinions, and that they are recorded in full. Even when decision making powers shift from the parent to the young person the Code of Practice recognises the role of the parent in supporting a young person to make decisions, or act on their behalf, and that it is likely parents will remain closely involved in the great majority of cases.

2 The AR3 is for Attendance. This form should be used to record those invited to the meeting. All professionals who are involved in a child or young person s case should be invited to the review In the list of those invited to the review, only those invited to the review need to be included, those professionals not invited can be deleted from the list. Invitations should be circulated well in advance of the meeting date. This form is for recording those invitations rather than sending as the invite. EHC coordinators will prioritise attendance at year 5, 6, 9 and 11 meetings. The AR4 is a Progress Report completed by SENCO/Head teacher prior to the meeting. This document is vital and reflects the progress against the outcomes and provision from the EHC. It must be circulated to all listed on the AR3 at least 2 weeks before the meeting The document must be completed as fully as possible, ensuring the information is accurate; this would include checking information such as a parent s address and other contact details. Boxes that are not applicable can be removed to make the form more user friedly The attendance data should be recorded and any issues ready to be discussed. Section B relates to the description of needs on the EHC. A detailed update should be submitted if any of these sections are no longer appropriate. To amend a section, copy and paste the relevant section, to add text type in red, to delete text use strikethrough. Once the Local authority has considered the proposals against all evidence, they will turn the text green to show agreed. If the changes are orange, it may be a suggested alternative could be used or that the LA cannot agree to the wording. This will be sent to the family for discussion

3 Only the relevant assessment boxes need to be kept on the Annual Review form. A secondary school (for pupils up to year 11) may delete the early years box and the post 16 box from their master copy of the Annual Review document in order to make the document more relevant and reduce the overall size of the Annual Review paperwork. Please include any relevant test data from the last 12 months. The philosophy of a tell us once approach should be followed as part of the review process. Where possible, other agencies should use the EHC plan review to coincide with one of their reviews. This is to prevent parents having to repeat the same information. If a child or young person is a child in care the EHC plan review could coincide with one of the reviews in their care plan, in particular the personal education plan (PEP) element of the Care Plan. The EHC plan should review the child or young person s health and social care needs and provide an up to date picture. Outcomes must be reviewed including whether a child has met, not met or partially met a particular outcome. Resources and provision should be recorded and included against future outcomes. Provision and resources that have not been effective should be removed from an outcome in order that a new strategy can be followed. New outcomes should be set in order to meet an identified need. These outcomes could be to meet an education, health or social care need. The EHC plan should always include outcomes to meet an educational need. Any appropriate educational outcome must involve a provision that is beyond what is available to all pupils. If the provision to meet an outcome is normally available to all then this is not special educational provision and therefore should not be included in the plan. When a pupil is in Year 9 onwards outcomes should be looking at preparing the young person for adulthood; outcomes may be focussed on building upon independence skills as well as addressing education needs.

4 Where a setting has already put provision into place that is additional or different from that stated on the EHC, this should be recorded on this form. Where a setting is unable to put provision into place, but has clear evidence this is needed, it should be recorded on the second grid. If provision has been recommended by a professional it should be noted here In all cases reasons for change of provision must be clearly stated The AR1, AR2, AR3 and AR4, must be ed to the EHC team and all those attending the meeting at least 10 working days (2 weeks) before the meeting date. Any reports or assessments form the last 12 months should be included. ehcschools@trafford.gov.uk with a clear subject line and FOA

5 Annual Review of an Education, Health and Care Plan Guidance notes for the completion of the Annual Review forms AR5 - The Meeting Summary Form The AR5 should be completed during and after the meeting. It is a summary of the meeting and any discussions or recommendations that took place. The headteachers report should summarise the views of the school given during the meeting. It should be a breif summary capturing progress for the last 12 months. The parents views and childs views from AR1 and AR2 would be in conjunction with this. Transition to Key stage or next phase is important for children in year groups N2, 5, 6, 9 and 11. It may also affect year 2 children if moving frominfant to junior. In these cases parents prefence for trantion must be recorded. Transition planning should be built into the EHC plan, including recording the pupil s views, wishes and aspirations and writing appropriate outcomes into the plan. If the pupil is likely to leave formal education in the next 12 months and the plan cease at the end of this time, the Annual Review should consider good exit planning, for example, ensuring a smooth transition into the next phase of the young person s life. It is advisable to discuss Nearest to Need school or Local Qualifying School alongside Preference School and transport issues that may occur. The process of consultation should eb discussed. The EHC coorindtor will be able to assist with this The recommendations of a review should be recorded as an accurate reflection of the discussions held. These are recommendations for the Local Authority to consider and should not be considered an agreement as to the outcome of a review. The EHC plan should be looked on as a plan for the next year in order to address specific needs. Amendments to the EHC plan should be identified including supporting evidence. A plan should be regularly amended to ensure the accuracy of the content. If a plan is not amended year on year it would suggest there may be an issue with the inapporpriate outcomes or provision. It may be that an EHC is no longer needed. If the plan could be ceased, the school should consider Traffords EHC Exit Criteria and make a recommendation against these to parents during the meeting. This discussion must be clearly documented.

6 Not all people attending an Annual Review will be of the same opinion and if this is the case those differing reviews should be included in this section. Decisions cannot be concluded at an Annual Review. Recommendations can be made and it is for the Local Authority to assess the evidence and ascertain whether changes to an EHC plan are required. Annual Review papers will be submitted the Moderation and Resource Panel for decision making. The EHC coordinator is not able to advise or agree to any recommendations. Their role is to support the process and record any significant changes where appropriate. EHC coordinators will not attend every review. The last page includes signatures of key people involved. As a matter of good practice the pupil should sign the form unless inappropriate to do so. For pupils in post-16 placements they must sign the Annual Review paperwork and the signature of the parent of the young person is advisable but not essential. In post-16 placements it is the young person who makes decisions about the support they receive through a plan, not the parent. This is the case unless the young person has been proven to lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. The AR5 should be sent to the EHC Coordinator within 2 weeks (10 working days) from the date of the meeting; ehcschools@traford.gov.uk with a clear subject line. The EHC team will consider recommendations and ammend the plan where applicable. An ammendment notice will be sent to parents within 4 weeks of the AR5. A final ammendmened EHC plan should be with parents 8 weeks following the notice.